MC21/CTF and VERA multiphysics solutions to VERA core physics benchmark progression problems 6 and 7

• Main Authors: Daniel J. Kelly, III, Ann E. Kelly, Brian N. Aviles, Andrew T. Godfrey, Robert K. Salko, Benjamin S. Collins
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2017-09-01
• Series: Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• Subjects: CTF; MC21; MPACT; Multiphysics; VERA
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1738573317302978
• ISSN: 1738-5733

The continuous energy Monte Carlo neutron transport code, MC21, was coupled to the CTF subchannel thermal-hydraulics code using a combination of Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL) tools and in-house Python scripts. An MC21/CTF solution for VERA Core Physics Benchmark Progression Problem 6 demonstrated good agreement with MC21/COBRA-IE and VERA solutions. The MC21/CTF solution for VERA Core Physics Benchmark Progression Problem 7, Watts Bar Unit 1 at beginning of cycle hot full power equilibrium xenon conditions, is the first published coupled Monte Carlo neutronics/subchannel T-H solution for this problem. MC21/CTF predicted a critical boron concentration of 854.5 ppm, yielding a critical eigenvalue of 0.99994 ± 6.8E-6 (95% confidence interval). Excellent agreement with a VERA solution of Problem 7 was also demonstrated for integral and local power and temperature parameters.