A Serpent/OpenFOAM coupling for 3D burnup analysis

Castagna, Christian; Cervi, Eric; Lorenzi, Stefano; Cammi, Antonio; Chiesa, D.; Sisti, M.; Nastasi, M.; Previtali, E.

doi:10.1140/epjp/s13360-020-00427-3

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…The last contribution pertaining to this subsection is the description of a very ambitious project [9] (and an erratum in [10]). The coupling of neutronic, thermal-hydraulic and fuel cycle analyses within a multiphysics model is again developed in Serpent and OpenFOAM: due to the complexity of the calculation, it is limited to considering a single fuel pin surrounded by water; this simulation cannot be presently carried out for a full-scale system, which will be the topic for the next set of contributions.…”

Section: Multiphysics Simulation Toolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in the physics and thermohydraulics of nuclear reactors

et al. 2021

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Section: Multiphysics Simulation Toolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in the physics and thermohydraulics of nuclear reactors

et al. 2021

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“…2 In the past decade, a favorable alternative has been developed to achieve better modeling accuracy, the socalled "best estimate" methodology, which relies on highfidelity models, employing coupled Monte Carlo neutron transport calculations, burnup calculation, and thermalmechanics and thermal-hydraulics codes. [3][4][5][6] To validate these approaches, benchmark analysis with experimental data 4 is of primary importance.…”

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confidence: 99%

Study of radionuclide inventory in nuclear fuel under uncertainties in boron concentration using high‐fidelity models

Castagna

Gilad

2022

Intl J of Energy Research

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Summary Uncertainties in the critical boron concentration during reactor burnup calculations strongly affect the spectrum, thus propagating to the 1‐group cross sections and reaction rates used in the Bateman equations and eventually affecting the resulting nuclide densities. These, in turn, alter the calculated critical boron concentration and so on. Usually, the uncertainty due to this nonlinear feedback is overlooked since only final (ie, at the end of the cycle) radionuclide densities are considered for fuel and waste management. However, for source term analysis, an accurate estimation of the core's radionuclide inventory is required at any time during the irradiation cycle. This paper presents an in‐depth uncertainty analysis on the nuclide inventory calculations by considering the nonlinear feedback due to deviation from the critical boron concentration during calculation. In particular, the physical characterization of the interrelated effects among spectrum, cross‐sections, reaction rates, and boron concentration are highlighted. The results indicate that deviation from the critical boron concentration during calculation may lead to significant discrepancies in nuclide densities during the irradiation cycle, which tends to decrease towards the end of the cycle. The physical processes underlying this behaviour are studied in depth using a high‐fidelity model and the Monte Carlo transport calculations. The methodology presented in this study may be used for systematic uncertainty and sensitivity analysis.

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