Nuclear data uncertainty on generation IV fast reactors criticality calculations analysis comparison

Abstract

The new calculation code capabilities are applied in the current work as well as important fast reactor criticality parameters uncertainty assessment articles’ results based on different nuclear data libraries and covariance matrices. A comparative analysis of uncertainty estimations related to neutron reactions is presented for lead-cooled reactor models and sodium-cooled reactor models. For the models of advanced BN and BR fast reactors with three fuel types (UO2, MOX, MNUP), the multiplication factor uncertainty calculations are performed using 252-group covariance matrices based on ENDF/B-VII.1 library via the SCALE 6.2.4 code system. The main nuclear data uncertainty contributors in the multiplication factor are determined. Recommendations are formulated for improving the cross sections accuracy for several nuclides in order to provide more reliable results of fast reactor criticality calculations. Lead-cooled reactors have no operational history compared to light-water and sodium-cooled reactors. The experimental data insufficiency calls in the question about reliability of the simulation results and requires a comprehensive initial data uncertainty analysis for the neutron transport simulation. The obtained results support the idea that lead- and sodium-cooled reactors have close nuclear data sensitivity using one and the same computation tools, nuclear data libraries and fuel compositions. This makes it possible to use the accumulated data of benchmarks for sodium-cooled reactors in the safety determination of lead-cooled reactors.