BENCHMARK DEVELOPMENT FOR TREAT MINIMUM CRITICAL MASS CORE LOADING TO SUPPORT VALIDATION OF TREAT OPERATIONS

摘要

Benchmark experiment data is necessary to validate modeling and simulation activities to support Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) Facility restart and operations. Key measurements of interest include criticality, control rod worth, excess reactivity, and shutdown margin for varying core loading sizes. Benchmark evaluations are being developed according to the guidelines provided in the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments (IRPhEP Handbook) that can also support advanced modeling and simulation activities, new experiment design for advanced reactors and accident tolerant fuel, and potential low-enriched uranium conversion of the TREAT reactor. This summary discusses development activities supporting a benchmark evaluation of the TREAT minimum critical mass core loading, which will be submitted for peer-review and publication in the IRPhEP Handbook with the identifier TREAT-FUND-RESR-001. Detailed models of TREAT are being developed and evaluated to prepare benchmark models of the minimum critical mass configuration using MCNP6.1 with ENDF/B-Ⅶ.1 nuclear data libraries.