A new time-dependent homogenization approach that accounts for inter-assembly leakage has recently been proposed. The new technique extends Generalized Equivalence Theory (GET) to transient simulations through the use of time-dependent, leakage-corrected discontinuity factors that are calculated at each time step by means of a global-local iterative approach to account for the effect of neighbouring nodes so that highly heterogeneous cores are more accurately modelled than when employing single-node, zero-node-boundary-current Assembly Discontinuity Factors (ADFs). The technique has been previously tested for a one-dimensional, two-energy-group, BWR-like benchmark. The present work expands the analysis to a one-dimensional, two-energy-group, Pressurized Heavy-Water Reactor (PHWR) configuration. The PHWR configuration consists of 22 fuel nodes bounded on either side by two nodes of heavy-water (D2O) reflector. Each fuel node spans 28.575 cm and is a one-dimensional stylized representation of a 37-element, natural uranium fuel bundle with D2O coolant residing in a pressure tube that in turn resides in a calandria tube surrounded by D2O moderator. A simple transient induced by instantaneous half-core voiding of the D2O coolant is studied. Three types of calculations are performed: A reference, heterogeneous-node, fine-mesh calculation, a standardly-homogenized-node calculation and a GET-homogenized-node (using ADFs) calculation. The root-mean-square percent errors introduced by standard homogenization and ADF-based homogenization for kinetics calculations in PHWR cores are found to be 4% and 5%, respectively, after 0.5 s. This suggests that the use of a time-dependent homogenization method is desirable, and its use is shown to reduce the RMS errors to a maximum of 0.003% over the course of the transient. The conclusion is that although PHWR cores are not extremely heterogeneous, the accuracy of transient modelling for PHWRs is improved when using time-dependent homogenization over conventional ADFs and that the newly-developed time-dependent homogenization method promises to offer substantial improvements in accuracy for transient results with particular relevance to safety analyses.
Deterministic and Monte Carlo methods are regularly employed to conduct lattice calculations. Monte Carlo methods can effectively model a large range of complex geometries and, compared to deterministic methods, they have the major advantage of reducing systematic errors and are computationally effective when integral quantities such as effective multiplication factor or reactivity are calculated. In contrast, deterministic methods do introduce discretization approximations but usually require shorter computation times than Monte Carlo methods when detailed flux and reaction-rate solutions are sought. This work compares the results of the deterministic code DRAGON to the Monte Carlo code Serpent in the calculation of the reactivity effects for a pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) lattice cell containing a 37-element, natural uranium fuel bundle with heavy water coolant and moderator. The reactivity effects are determined for changes to the coolant, moderator, and fuel temperatures and to the coolant and moderator densities for zero-burnup, mid-burnup [3750 MWd/t(U)] and discharge burnup [7500 MWd/t(U)] fuel. It is found that the overall trend in the reactivity effects calculated using DRAGON match those calculated using Serpent for the burnup cases considered. However, differences that exceed the amount attributable to statistical error have been found for some reactivity effects, particularly for perturbations to coolant and moderator density and fuel temperature.
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