On-the-fly Nuclear Data Processing Methods for Monte Carlo Simulations of Fast Spectrum Systems

On-the-fly Nuclear Data Processing Methods for Monte Carlo Simulations of Fast Spectrum Systems PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 73

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Book Description
The presentation summarizes work performed over summer 2015 related to Monte Carlo simulations. A flexible probability table interpolation scheme has been implemented and tested with results comparing favorably to the continuous phase-space on-the-fly approach.

On-the-fly Nuclear Data Processing Methods for Monte Carlo Simulations of Intermediate and Fast Spectrum Systems

On-the-fly Nuclear Data Processing Methods for Monte Carlo Simulations of Intermediate and Fast Spectrum Systems PDF Author: Jonathan Alan Walsh
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 212

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Book Description
Computational methods for on-the-fly representation and processing of nuclear data within Monte Carlo neutron transport simulations of intermediate and fast spectrum systems are developed and implemented in a continuous-energy Monte Carlo code. First, a capability to compute temperature-dependent unresolved resonance region (URR) cross sections directly from zero-temperature average resonance parameters is presented. The use of this capability in benchmarking both evaluated and processed URR data is demonstrated. Results of this benchmarking lead to a partial resolution of a longstanding discrepancy between experiment and calculation results for a well-known fast critical assembly. Next, an on-the-fly probability table interpolation scheme for computing temperature-dependent URR cross sections is developed and used in analyses which show that interpolation on a relatively coarse temperature mesh (>100 K) can be used to reproduce results obtained with cross sections generated at an exact temperature. This enables the simulation of systems having detailed temperature distributions using probability table data which require significantly less memory than data generated on a fine temperature mesh. Additional methods for use in the investigation of two common approximations that are made in representing URR cross section data are developed. Namely, a multi-level URR cross section calculation capability is used to show that level-level interference effects in elastic scattering cross sections are negligible in many cases of interest. A capability to generate resonance structure in competitive reaction cross sections is used to show that neglecting cross section structure for reactions other than elastic scattering, capture, and fission can lead to non-negligible, unconservative biases (>100 pcm) in criticality safety calculations. The principal underlying assumption of the probability table method is also tested by comparing the results it yields with results that are averaged over many independent simulations, each using a single, independent realization of URR resonance parameters. Unknown URR resonance structure is observed to induce an uncertainty on the multiplication factor for intermediate and fast spectrum systems that is nearly an order of magnitude greater than that which is purely stochastic. This significantly increases the uncertainty to which results of simulations of those systems should be stated. Finally, a procedure for consistent, on-the-fly sampling of temperature-dependent neutron reaction kernels which requires no additional secondary distribution data is presented. It is used to show that Doppler effects may have only a small impact on elastic scattering secondary angular distributions at typical power reactor operating temperatures but can be appreciable at astrophysical temperatures.

Computational Methods for Efficient Nuclear Data Management in Monte Carlo Neutron Simulations

Computational Methods for Efficient Nuclear Data Management in Monte Carlo Neutron Simulations PDF Author: Jonathan Alan Walsh
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 133

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Book Description
This thesis presents the development and analysis of computational methods for efficiently accessing and utilizing nuclear data in Monte Carlo neutron transport code simulations. Using the OpenMC code, profiling studies are conducted in order to determine the types of nuclear data that are used in realistic reactor physics simulations, as well as the frequencies with which those data are accessed. The results of the profiling studies are then used to motivate the conceptualization of a nuclear data server algorithm aimed at reducing on-node memory requirements through the use of dedicated server nodes for the storage of infrequently accessed data. A communication model for this algorithm is derived and used to make performance predictions given data access frequencies and assumed system hardware parameters. Additionally, a new, accelerated approach for rejection sampling the free gas resonance elastic scattering kernel that reduces the frequency of zero-temperature elastic scattering cross section data accesses is derived and implemented. Using this new approach, the runtime overhead incurred by an exact treatment of the free gas resonance elastic scattering kernel is reduced by more than 30% relative to a standard sampling procedure used by Monte Carlo codes. Finally, various optimizations of the commonly-used binary energy grid search algorithm are developed and demonstrated. Investigated techniques include placing kinematic constraints on the range of the searchable energy grid, index lookups on unionized material energy grids, and employing energy grid hash tables. The accelerations presented routinely result in overall code speedup by factors of 1.2-1.3 for simulations of practical systems.

Generation of Nuclear Data for Lead-cooled Fast Reactors Using the Monte Carlo Method

Generation of Nuclear Data for Lead-cooled Fast Reactors Using the Monte Carlo Method PDF Author: Carlos Garcia Domínguez
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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The LEADER project goal is to improve and develop a scaled demonstrator of the LFR technology, ALFRED. The work in this thesis is focused in the ALFRED project framework and its mission is to obtain few-group cross section data for LFRs. Cross sections The neutron transport problem is crucial in nuclear engineering and nuclear reactor physics. Neutron transport theory and the diffusion theory applied to neutron reactions are briefly described, including their principles and hypothesis. The two different computational approaches to solve the neutron transport problem are summarized. The software used to obtain the data is based on a modification of the Monte Carlo method. Thus, some basic probability theory concepts are introduced. This section follows with the discussion of the Monte Carlo method and its principles, and how it can be applied to solve the neutron transport problem. Afterwards, the Serpent code is explained, as well as its features and characteristics. The process of creating a 2-dimension model of ALFRED fuel assembly and the elaboration of Serpent input files are detailed. Cross section data for five neutron energy groups and at different material temperatures is obtained by running several simulations using Serpent. The last section includes a brief description of LFR technology and some specific ALFRED features. Some advantages and disadvantages of LFRs are included, along with some proposals to solve the disadvantages. The last part of this section illustrates the proposed ALFRED core scheme, using the data publicly available to date.

Monte Carlo Methods and Codes for Nuclear Engineering Analysis

Monte Carlo Methods and Codes for Nuclear Engineering Analysis PDF Author: Christopher Perfetti
Publisher: Woodhead Publishing
ISBN: 9780128154007
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 390

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Book Description
Monte Carlo Methods and Codes for Nuclear Engineering Analysis provides a comprehensive survey of the state-of-the-art in radiation transport methods used by Monte Carlo (MC) codes. It then goes on to explore the real-world implementation of these methods in codes used by nuclear and scientists engineers, considering the advantages and disadvantages of the various techniques, design philosophies, and algorithm implementations. After a foreword and introduction giving a brief history of Monte Carlo methods, code systems, and their applications in nuclear science and engineering, subsequent chapters describe the fundamentals of Monte Carlo radiation transport methods by dividing the field into a number of topics or focus areas. The subjects selected include potential geometry and particle tracking, nuclear data, variance reduction, time-dependent analysis and parallel computing. Each chapter presents a comprehensive survey of the state-of-the-art implementations, algorithms, and methodologies used by production-level Monte Carlo codes for the area. A concluding chapter provides a handy summary by briefly listing the methods used by key Monte Carlo codes for each focus area in several tables. This book is an essential guide to Monte Carlo methods and codes for nuclear scientists, engineers and code developers in academia and industry and students studying this topic. discusses and compares the radiation transport methods in real-life Monte Carlo (MC) codes used by nuclear scientists and engineers presents in one convenient volume information previously scattered between conference papers, journal articles, and code manuals, thus allowing MC code users to compare the features and make and educated selections of the codes best meeting their needs chapters begin at a level that is appropriate for readers who are unfamiliar with the field, then go on to address the state-of-the-art

Acceleration Methods for Monte Carlo Particle Transport Simulations

Acceleration Methods for Monte Carlo Particle Transport Simulations PDF Author: Lulu Li (Ph. D.)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 175

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Book Description
Performing nuclear reactor core physics analysis is a crucial step in the process of both designing and understanding nuclear power reactors. Advancements in the nuclear industry demand more accurate and detailed results from reactor analysis. Monte Carlo (MC) eigenvalue neutron transport methods are uniquely qualified to provide these results, due to their accurate treatment of space, angle, and energy dependencies of neutron distributions. Monte Carlo eigenvalue simulations are, however, challenging, because they must resolve the fission source distribution and accumulate sufficient tally statistics, resulting in prohibitive run times. This thesis proposes the Low Order Operator (LOO) acceleration method to reduce the run time challenge, and provides analyses to support its use for full-scale reactor simulations. LOO is implemented in the continuous energy Monte Carlo code, OpenMC, and tested in 2D PWR benchmarks. The Low Order Operator (LOO) acceleration method is a deterministic transport method based on the Method of Characteristics. Similar to Coarse Mesh Finite Difference (CMFD), the other acceleration method evaluated in this thesis, LOO parameters are constructed from Monte Carlo tallies. The solutions to the LOO equations are then used to update Monte Carlo fission sources. This thesis deploys independent simulations to rigorously assess LOO, CMFD, and unaccelerated Monte Carlo, simulating up to a quarter of a trillion neutron histories for each simulation. Analysis and performance models are developed to address two aspects of the Monte Carlo run time challenge. First, this thesis demonstrates that acceleration methods can reduce the vast number of neutron histories required to converge the fission source distribution before tallies can be accumulated. Second, the slow convergence of tally statistics is improved with the acceleration methods for the earlier active cycles. A theoretical model is developed to explain the observed behaviors and predict convergence rates. Finally, numerical results and theoretical models shed light on the selection of optimal simulation parameters such that a desired statistical uncertainty can be achieved with minimum neutron histories. This thesis demonstrates that the conventional wisdom (e.g., maximizing the number of cycles rather than the number of neutrons per cycle) in performing unaccelerated MC simulations can be improved simply by using more optimal parameters. LOO acceleration provides reduction of a factor of at least 2.2 in neutron histories, compared to the unaccelerated Monte Carlo scheme, and the CPU time and memory overhead associated with LOO are small.

Modeling Feedback Effects of Transient Nuclear Systems Using Monte Carlo

Modeling Feedback Effects of Transient Nuclear Systems Using Monte Carlo PDF Author: Miriam A. Kreher
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Monte Carlo neutron transport is the gold standard for accurate neutronics simulation of nuclear reactors in steady-state because each term of the neutron transport equation can be directly tallied using continuous-energy cross sections rather than needing to make approximations in energy, angle, or geometry. However, the time dependent equation includes time derivatives of flux and delayed neutron precursors which are difficult to tally. While it is straightforward to explicitly model delayed neutron precursors, and thus solve the time dependent problem in Direct Monte Carlo, this is such a costly approach that the practical length of transient calculations is limited to about 1 second. In order to solve longer problems, a high-order/low-order approach was adopted that uses the omega method to approximate the time derivatives as frequencies. These frequencies are spatially distributed and provided by a low-order Time Dependent Coarse Mesh Finite Difference diffusion solver. While this scheme has been previously applied to prescribed transients, thermal feedback is now incorporated to provide a fully self-propagating Monte Carlo transient multiphysics solver which can be applied to transients of several seconds long. Several recently developed techniques are used in the implementation of the proposed coupling approaches. Firstly, underrelaxed Monte Carlo, which is a steady-state technique that stabilizes the search for temperature distributions, is applied to find initial conditions. Secondly, tally derivatives are a Monte Carlo perturbation technique that can identify how a tally will change with respect to a small change in the system. Test problems of varying complexity are carried out in flow-initiated transients to show the versatility of these methods. Overall, this multi-level, multiphysics, transient solver provides a bridge between high fidelity Monte Carlo neutronics and the fast multi-group diffusion methods that are currently used in safety analysis.

Particle Physics Reference Library

Particle Physics Reference Library PDF Author: Christian W. Fabjan
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030353184
Category : Elementary particles (Physics).
Languages : en
Pages : 1083

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Book Description
This second open access volume of the handbook series deals with detectors, large experimental facilities and data handling, both for accelerator and non-accelerator based experiments. It also covers applications in medicine and life sciences. A joint CERN-Springer initiative, the "Particle Physics Reference Library" provides revised and updated contributions based on previously published material in the well-known Landolt-Boernstein series on particle physics, accelerators and detectors (volumes 21A, B1,B2,C), which took stock of the field approximately one decade ago. Central to this new initiative is publication under full open access

Energy Research Abstracts

Energy Research Abstracts PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Power resources
Languages : en
Pages : 490

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New Nuclear Data

New Nuclear Data PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Nuclear physics
Languages : en
Pages : 172

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