Uncertainty and correlation analysis of lead nuclear data on reactor parameters for the European Lead Cooled Training Reactor

• The Total Monte Carlo (TMC) method was used in this study to assess the impact of Pb-204, 206, 207, 208 nuclear data uncertainties on reactor safety parameters for the ELECTRA reactor. Relatively large uncertainties were observed in the k-eff and the coolant void worth (CVW) for all isotopes except for Pb-204 with signicant contribution coming from Pb-208 nuclear data; the dominant eectcame from uncertainties in the resonance parameters; however, elastic scattering cross section and the angular distributions also had signicant impact. It was also observed that the k-eff distribution for Pb-206, 207, 208 deviates from a Gaussian distribution with tails in the high k-eff region. An uncertainty of 0.9% on the k-eff and 3.3% for the CVW due to lead nuclear data were obtained. As part of the work, cross section-reactor parameter correlations were also studied using a Monte Carlo sensitivity method. Strong correlations were observed between the k-eff and (n,el) cross section for all the lead isotopes. The correlation between the (n,inl) and the k-eff was also found to be signicant.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Subatomär fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Subatomic Physics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

TMC

nuclear data uncertainty

lead isotopes

safety parameters

ELECTRA

fuel cycle

Applied Nuclear Physics

Tillämpad kärnfysik

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)