SENSITIVITY STUDIES OF ONE-DIMENSIONAL NEUTRONICS CALCULATIONS FOR PROMPT BURST EXCURSION (PBE) EXPERIMENTS IN THE ANNULAR CORE PULSE REACTOR (ACPR)

摘要

Using the one-dimensional neutron transport code, DTF-IV, the single-pin PBE experiment in the ACPR was reoptimized with respect to maximizing the centerline energy deposition and minimizing the surface center deposition ratios. Sensitivity of the optimization to a number of parameters was considered, the most important being the use of a new set of neutron cross sections much more appropriate to the ACPR spectrum than the Hansen-Roach set used in earlier calculations. Some minor improvements over current experimental design were found to be possible, but the total increase in the centerline energy density possible for a given pin enrichment is no more than about 5 percent. The results of the new study also give somewhat lower surface/center energy deposition ratios than did calculations using the Hansen-Roach cross section set.