Modeling and Calculation of Reactivity Feedback Coefficients and Neutron Flux Using Monte Carlo Code OpenMC for SLOWPOKE-2 Reactor
摘要
SLOWPOKE-2 is a pool-type research reactor difficult to model due to the importance of neutron leakage. The aim of this paper is to evaluate a three-dimensional continuous energy Monte Carlo code OpenMC of the reactor and then it is used to compute the reactivity feedback coefficients and the neutron flux. The OpenMC geometry model was validated by criticality calculation, where good agreement is observed between the calculated core reactivity and excess reactivity measurement. The reactivity feedback coefficients are accounted for variation in fuel temperature, moderator temperature and void coefficients of the SLOWPOKE-2 reactor. Only one parameter was changed, while all other parameters remain constant. To perform this study and evaluate cross-section data, the new version VIII.0 of the ENDF/B nuclear data library was used to generate a data set in ACE (A Compact ENDF) format at various temperatures (313, 333, 353 and 373 K), utilizing NJOY2016 code to process the data at the particular temperatures. It was observed that all reactivity feedback coefficients were found negative which meets the design safety criteria. The neutron flux in outer and inner irradiation sites is also presented. The results of calculations are analyzed and discussed.