Application of correction technique using leakage index combined with SPH or discontinuity factors for energy collapsing on pin-by-pin BWR core analysis

Abstract

A correction technique to capture the spectral interference effect on collapsed cross sections is combined with the superhomogenization (SPH) factor or the discontinuity factor (DF) and is applied to the pin-by-pin core analysis for boiling water reactors (BWRs). The spectral interference effect has relationship with variations of neutron leakage in each pin-cell from the viewpoint of neutron balance. In order to correct collapsed cross sections, a new correction technique, in which the neutron leakage in each pin-cell is used as a correction index, was proposed in the previous study. By this correction technique, the reference coarse group cross sections are well reproduced and the calculation accuracies are improved. However, the reference fine group calculation results could not be reproduced since the correction technique cannot reduce energy collapsing errors. Thus, we combine the correction technique with the SPH factor or the DF to reduce energy collapsing errors. In order to verify and discuss the applicability of the correction technique with the SPH factor or the DF, two-dimensional benchmark calculations considering typical characteristics of BWR cores are carried out. The correction technique with the DF more accurately reproduces the reference fine group calculation results than that with the SPH factor.