French PWR 900 MWe pressure vessel surveillance neutron field characteristics TRIPOLI-3 calculations and experimental determination

摘要

This paper presents an overview of the studies performed by CEA and EDF in the scope of the pressure vessel surveillance of the French nuclear power plants. The power plants are equipped with surveillance capsules, attached to the thermal shield. They contain the dosimeters and vessel material specimens for monitoring the effects of irradiation on the pressure vessel material. The Monte Carlo code TRIPOLI-3 is used with two nuclear data libraries to calculate the neutron flux, the steel damage and the dosimeter reaction rates, and takes into account the results of sensitivity/uncertainty calculations. 2 figs., 7 tabs., 10 refs. (Atomindex citation 26:053084)