Criticality Benchmark Guide for Light -Water-Reactor Fuel in Transportation and Storage Packages

355 Pages·2008·48.51 MB·English

NUREG/CR-6361
ORNL/TM-13211
Criticality Benchmark Guide for
Light -Water-Reactor Fuel in
Transportation and
Storage Packages
~
Prepared by
J. J. Lichtenwalter, S. M. Bowman, M. D. DeHart, C. M. Hopper
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Prepared for
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Portions of this document may be inegible
in electronic image products. Images are
produced f’rom the best available original
document.
NUREG/CR-6361
ORNLDM- 13211
Criticality Benchmark Guide for
Light-Water-Reactor Fuel in
Transporta ti on and
Storage Packages
Manuscript Completed: December 1996
Date Published: March 1997
Prepared by
J. J. Lichtenwalter*, S. M. Bowman,M . D. DeHart, C. M. Hopper
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Managed by Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corp.
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6370
Prepared for
Spent Fuel Project Office
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
US. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555-0001
NRC Job Code BO009
*Appointee of U.S. Department of Energy Laboratory Cooperative Postgraduate Research Training Program at
Oak Ridge National Laboratory administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.
NUREGKR-6361 has been reproduced
from the best available copy.
ABSTRACT
This report is designed as a guide for performing criticality benchmark calculations for light-water-reactor (LWR)f uel
applications. The guide provides documentation of 180 criticality experiments with geometries, materials, and
neutron interaction characteristics representative of transportation packages containing LWR fuel or uranium oxide
pellets or powder. These experiments should benefit the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff and
licensees in validation of computational methods used in LWR fuel storage and transportation concerns. The
experiments are clasified by key parameters such as enrichment, watedfuel volume, hydrogen-to-fisile ratio 0,
and lattice pitch. Groups of experiments with common features such as separator plates, shielding walls, and soluble
boron are also identified. In addition, a sample validation using these experiments and a statistical analysis of the
results are provided. Recommendations for selecting suitable experiments and determination of calculational bias and
uncertainty are presented as part of this benchmark guide.
...
111 NuREG/CR-636 1
CONTENTS
...
ABSTRACT ................................................................................. iii
...
LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................... viii
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................. x
...
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ....................................................................... ~ l i i
1 Introduction ............................................................................... 1
2 Physical Description of Selected Low-Enriched Critical Experiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.1 LWR-Type Fuel Pin Lattice Experiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.1.1 Simple Lattice Experiments ........................................................ . 5
2.1.1.1 Simple Lattice Experiments from ANS Transactions. Vol . 33 ....................... 5
2.1.1.2 Simple Lattice Experiments from BAW-1484 ................................... 5
2.1.1.3 Simple Lattice Experiments from EPRI NP-196 .................................. 6
2.1.1.4 Simple Lattice Experiments from NS&E, Vol . 71 ................................ 6
2.1.1.5 Simple Lattice Experiments from PNL-2438 .................................... 6
2.1.1.6 Simple Lattice Experiments from PNL-2827 .................................... 7
2.1.1.7 Simple Lattice Experiments from PNL-33 14 .................................... 7
2.1.1.8 Simple Lattice Experiments from PNL-3926 .................................... 7
2.1.1.9 Simple Lattice Experiments from PNL-4267 .................................... 7
2.1.1.10 Simple Lattice Experiments from PNL-4976 .................................... 8
2.1.1.11 Simple Lattice Experiments from WCAP-3269 .................................. 8
2.1.1.12 Simple Lattice Experiments from WCAP-3385 .................................. 9
2.1.2 Separator Plate Experiments ......................................................... 9
2.1.2.1 Separator Plate Experiments from ANS Transactions, Vol . 33 ...................... 9
2.1.2.2 Separator Plate Experiments from BAW-1484 ................................... 9
2.1.2.3 Separator Plate Experiments from BAW-1645 .................................. 10
2.1.2.4 Separator Plate Experiments from DSN No . 399/80 .............................. 10
2.1.2.5 Separator Plate Experiments from PNL-2438 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.1.2.6 Separator Plate Experiments from PNL-26 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.1.2.7 Separator Plate Experiments from PNL-33 14 .................................... 11
2.1.2.8 Separator Plate Experiments from PNL-6205 and PNL-7176 ....................... 12
2.1.3 Reflecting Wall Experiments ......................................................... 12
2.1.3.1 Reflecting Wall Experiments from PNL-2827 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.1.3.2 Reflecting Wall Experiments from PNL-3602 ................................... 13
2.1.3.3 Reflecting Wall Experiments from PNL-3926 ................................... 13
2.1.4 Reflecting Wall-Separator Plate Experiments ............................................ 13
2.1.4.1 Reflecting Wall-Separator Plate Experiments from PNL-3602 ...................... 13
2.1.4.2 Reflecting Wall-Separator Plate Experiments from PATRAM80 .................... 14
2.1.5 Burnable Absorber Fuel Rod Experiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.1.6 Water Hole Experiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.1.6.1 Water Hole Experiments from BAW- 18 10 ...................................... 14
v NUREGKR-6361
I
2.1.6.2 Water Hole Experiments fromNS&E. Vol . 71 ................................... 15
2.1.6.3 Water Hole Experiments from PNL-33 14 ....................................... 15
2.1.6.4 Water Hole Experiments from WCAP-3269 ..................................... 15
2.1.7 Absorber Rod Experiments .......................................................... 16
2.1.7.1 Absorber Rod Experiments from BAW-1484 .................................... 16
2.1.7.2 Absorber RodExperiments from BAW-1810 .................................... 16
2.1.7.3 Absorber Rod Experiments from WCAP-3269 ................................... 16
2.1.8 Soluble Boron Experiments .......................................................... 17
2.1.8.1 Soluble Boron Experiments from BAW- 1231 ................................... 17
2.1.8.2 Soluble Boron Experiments from BAW-1273 ................................... 17
2.1.8.3 Soluble Boron Experiments from BAW-1484 ................................... 18
2.1.8.4 Soluble Boron Experiments from EPRI NP- 196 .................................. 18
2.1.8.5 Soluble Boron Experiments from PNL-4267 .................................... 18
2.2 Homogeneous Uranium .................................................................. 19
2.2.1 Homogenized Uranium in Paraffin ..................................................... 19
2.2.2 Damp Uranium Oxide Experiments .................................................... 19
3 Validation of the SCALE 44-Group ENDF/B-V Library with the LWR Critical Experiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
3.1 Description of the SCALE Code System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
3.2 Modeling and Calculational Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
3.2.1 Fuel Region Modeling ............................................................. 140
3.2.2 KENO V.a Parameter Data ......................................................... 141
3.3 Calculational Results Overview ........................................................... 141
3.4 Results for LWR Fuel Pin Lattices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
3.4.1 Simple Lattices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
3.4.2 Lattices and Separator Plates Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
3.4.3 Lattices and Reflecting Walls Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
3.4.4 Lattices with Separator Plates and Reflecting Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
3.4.5 Lattices with Urania Gadolinia Rods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
3.4.6 Lattices with Water Holes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
3.4.7 Lattices with B, C or Ag-In-Cd Absorber Rods .......................................... 143
3.4.8 Simple Lattices with Soluble Boron ................................................... 143
3.5 Results for Homogeneous Uranium Systems ................................................ 143
3.5.1 Homogeneous UF, in Paraffh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
3.5.2 Damp Oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
4 Determination of Bias and Subcritical Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
4.1 Establishment of an Upper Subcritical Limit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
4.1.1 USL Method 1: Confidence Band with Administrative Margin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
4.1.2 USL Method 2: Single-Sided Uniform Width Closed Interval Approach ...................... 160
4.1.3 Application of Upper Subcritical Limit Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
5 Guidelines for Experiment Selection and Areas of Applicability .................................... 179
5.1 Guidelines for Selecting Suitable Experiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
5.2 Parameterization of Validation Experiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
6 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
7 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
NUREGKR-636 1 vi
Appendix A . SCALE Input File Listings .......................................................... 189
Appendix B . Comparison of 44- and 238-Group Results ............................................. 335
Appendix C. User’s Manual for USLSTATS V1.0 ................................................... 339
C. l Introduction .................................................................. 339
C.2 Background .................................................................. 339
C.3 Input Description ............................................................. 339
C.4 Output Description ............................................................ 342
C.5 How to Run USLSTATS ........................................................ 342
C.6 How to Obtain USLSTATS ...................................................... 342
vii NUREGKR-6361
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
1.1 Summary of available LWR critical experiments ................................................. 2
2.1 Case descriptions of LWR-type UO, fuel pin lattice critical benchmark experiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2.2 Properties of fuel rods from ANS Transactions. Vol . 33 .......................................... 26
2.3 Critical data for simple lattice experiment ANS33SLG ........................................... 26
2.4 Properties of fuel rods from BAW-1484 ...................................................... 27
2.5 Critical data for simple lattice experiment BW1484SL from BAW-1484 ............................ 27
2.6 Critical data for simple lattice experiments from EPRI NP- 196 .................................... 28
2.7 Critical data for simple lattice experiments from NS&E, Vol . 7 1 ................................... 29
2.8 Critical data for simple lattice experiment P2438SLG from PNL-2438 .............................. 29
2.9 Critical data for simple lattice experiment P2827SLG fromPNL-2827 .............................. 29
2.10 Critical data for simple lattice experiment P3314SLG from PNL-33 14 .............................. 29
2.1 1 Critical data for simple lattice experiments from PNL-3926 ....................................... 30
2.12 Critical data for simple lattice experiments from PNL-4267 ....................................... 30
2.13 Critical data for simple lattice experiment P49-194 from PNL-4976 ................................ 30
2.14 Properties of fuel rods from WCAP-3269 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
2.15 Critical data for simple lattice experiment from WCAP-3269 ...................................... 31
2.16 Properties of fuel rods from WCAP-3385 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
2.17 Critical data for simple lattice experiment from WCAP-3385 ...................................... 32
2.18 Critical Data for separator plate experiments from ANS Transactions, Vol . 33 ........................ 33
2.19 Critical data for separator plate experiments from BAW-1484 ..................................... 34
2.20 Critical data for separator plate experiments from BAW-1645 ..................................... 35
2.21 Critical data for separator plate experiments f m D SN No . 399/80 .................................. 36
2.22 Description of separator plates from PNL-2438 ................................................ 37
2.23 Critical data for separator plate experiments from PNL-2438 ...................................... 38
2.24 Critical data for separator plate experiments from PNL-2615 ...................................... 39
2.25 Criticalityd ata for separator plate experiments from PNL-33 14 .................................... 40
2.26 Description of Bora1 separator plates in experiments from PNL-6205 and PNL-7167 .................. 41
2.27 Critical data for separator plate experiments from PNL-6205 and PNL-7167 ......................... 42
2.28 Modeled assemblies of separator plate experiments from PNL-6205 and PNL-7 167 ................... 43
2.29 Critical data for reflecting wall experiments from PNL-2827 ...................................... 44
2.30 Critical data for reflecting wall experiments from PNL-3602 ...................................... 45
2.3 1 Critical data for reflecting wall experiments from PNL-3926 ...................................... 46
2.32 Critical data for reflecting wall-separator plate experiments from PNL-3602 ......................... 47
2.33 Critical data for reflecting wall-separator plate experiments from PATRAM'S0 ....................... 48
2.34 Physical properties of UO, fuel rods from BAW-1810 ........................................... 49
2.35 Physical properties of UO,Gd,O, fuel rods from BAW- 18 10 ...................................... 49
2.36 Critical data for U0,-Gd,O, rod experiments from BAW-1810 .................................... 50
2.37 Critical data for water hole experiments from BAW-18 10 ........................................ 51
2.38 Critical data for NSE71W1 and NSE71W2 water hole experiments ................................ 52
2.39 Critical data for water hole experiments from PNL-33 14 ......................................... 53
2.40 Critical data for water hole experiments from WCAP-3269 ....................................... 53
2.41 Properties of B, C absorber rods from BAW-1484 ............................................... 53
2.42 Critical data for B, C absorber rod experiments from BAW-1484 ................................... 54
2.43 Properties of Ag-In-Cd absorber rods from BAW- 18 10 .......................................... 55
2.44 Critical data for absorber rod experiments from BAW-1810 ...................................... 56
2.45 Critical data for Ag-In-Cd absorber rod experiments from WCAP-3269 ............................. 57
NUREGKR-63 6 1 viii