Full Core Optimization of Small Modular Gas-Cooled Fast Reactors Using OpenMC Program Code

Ilham, Muhammad; Raflis, Helen; Su’ud, Zaki

doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1493/1/012007

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Table 1 presents the characteristics of the GFR core design and fuel assembly that will be analyzed. The core design consists of 127 hexagonal assemblies, 127 fuel rods each assembly, 6 regulating rods to anticipate the burning reactivity swing, and 3 shutdown control rods to make the criticality below unity 6,14 . The thermal power is designed to 250 MWth with the active rod height was 180 cm.…”

Section: Design and Calculation Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reflector materials selection for core design of modular gas‐cooled fast reactor using OpenMC code

et al. 2020

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Summary This paper discusses the selection of reflector materials for the core design of modular gas‐cooled fast reactor (GFR). Ideally, the reflector materials can be recycled, compatible with helium as the primary coolant, and resistant to high working temperature in the modular GFR. The modular GFR is a reactor design concept that maintains the criticality to achieve a longer operation time. However, maintaining the neutron population in the fast reactor core is still a challenge due to the high neutron leakage. In this research, the main objective is selecting potential reflectors materials for a modular GFR using open‐source Monte Carlo, OpenMC code. The OpenMC code applied the Monte Carlo method that provides high fidelity three‐dimensional (3D) geometry modeling, implementing continuous energy cross‐sections, and enabling to use of the nuclear data of Evaluated Nuclear Data File (ENDF/B‐VII.b5). The various candidate reflector materials, such as pure nickel, pure magnesium, pure lead, PbO, Ba2Pb, BeO, SiC, and Zr3Si2, are calculated from the neutron physics phenomenon to determine a good neutron reflector. The considered parameters of neutron physics included the multiplication factor profile, neutron energy distribution, flux and fission rate distribution, neutron leakage, core lifetime, mass evolution of fissile and fertile material, and thickness of reflector. The most crucial parameter of GFR core design is determined based on the conditions at the beginning of life (BOL) and the end of life (EOL). Finally, we concluded that the BeO material and silicon‐based materials are good reflector candidates for the core design of modular GFR.

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Section: Design and Calculation Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reflector materials selection for core design of modular gas‐cooled fast reactor using OpenMC code

et al. 2020

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“…The modules are transported and installed upon request [23]. SMR design can achieve better results in terms of safety and operational costs [24].…”

Section: Fuel Parameters and Specificationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparative analysis of gas-cooled fast reactor using heterogeneous core configurations with three and five fuel variations

Prasetya,

Syarifah,

Karomah

et al. 2024

EEJET

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GFR or Gas-cooled Fast Reactor is one type of fast generation-IV that uses a very high cooling temperature. Thus, it is necessary to have the right reactor core design so that the power distribution of neutrons produced reaches a safe and even limit point. The use of a uniform (homogeneous) reactor core can produce peaking power. This is very avoidable because it will cause a reactor accident. In this study, researchers tried to compare the results of the analysis for two heterogeneous reactor core designs including the configuration of 3 fuel variations and 5 fuel variations using UN-PuN fuel. This study aims to determine the keff value produced by both types of fuel variations during 5 years of burn-up and determine the characteristics of neutron flux, fission rate, and fission product during 15 years of burn-up. This study was started by calculating the homogeneous and heterogeneous core of 3 and 5 fuel variations with neutron transport simulation involving OpenMC. The calculation results show that the heterogeneous core configuration of 5 fuel variations for the keff value is more optimal than 3 fuel variations, because it has the smallest excess reactivity value. The neutron flux and fission rate characteristics for 5 fuel variations are more evenly distributed when compared to 3 fuel variations to maintain neutron lifetime and reactor life in operation. Burn-up residual plutonium material and minor actinide waste for 5 fuel variations have less mass than 3 fuel variations. The results of neutronic analysis of GFR reactors with heterogeneous reactor core designs for 5 fuel variations are better in terms of reactor criticality, neutron power distribution, and waste produced. Finally, optimization of the UN-PuN fuel volume fraction of 60 % provides the optimal keff value

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“…OpenMC is a neutronic analysis program based on neutron transport code using the monte carlo method [12]. The code was developed by the Reactor Computational Physics community at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology since 2011 [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of OpenMC Code Criticality Value Calculation for GFR Reactor with UN-PuN Fuel

Prasetya,

Mabruri,

Karomah

et al. 2024

J. Phys.: Conf. Ser.

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The use of OpenMC code needs to be validated with other code, so that an accurate and valid criticality value is generated. The validation value is affected by the minimum number of particles used. Determination of the minimum number of particles is carried out by varying the number of particles so that they have a convergent value, which is in the range of 100-50000 particles. The results of determining the minimum number of particles are then used to find the minimum number of cycles consisting of active and inactive batches. This study uses the criticality value parameter in the form of an effective multiplication factor (k-eff) as a benchmark for code accuracy. The k-eff values generated by OpenMC and SRAC are then compared and the validation error value is searched. The error value is found by calculating the k-eff (Δk-eff) difference between the two codes. OpenMC code can be said to be validated if it has an error value of less than 1% against the calculation results of the SRAC code. The calculation results of determining the minimum number of particles show k-eff values in the range of 35000 - 50000 minimal changes significantly or not fluctuating. The calculation of k-eff and entropy in cycle 500 shows a convergent value at the active batch value of >30. Based on the data cycle, researchers used 100 active batches and 30 inactive batches to perform validation calculations. The results of the validation calculation using UN-PuN fuel with a plutonium material composition of 10% showed a maximum k-eff error value of 0.819%. The Δk-eff obtained is 0.008.

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Full Core Optimization of Small Modular Gas-Cooled Fast Reactors Using OpenMC Program Code

Cited by 6 publications

References 6 publications

Reflector materials selection for core design of modular gas‐cooled fast reactor using OpenMC code

Reflector materials selection for core design of modular gas‐cooled fast reactor using OpenMC code

A comparative analysis of gas-cooled fast reactor using heterogeneous core configurations with three and five fuel variations

Validation of OpenMC Code Criticality Value Calculation for GFR Reactor with UN-PuN Fuel

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