Abstract
The PETALE experimental programme in the CROCUS reactor intends to provide integral measurements to constrain stainless steel nuclear data. This article presents the tools and the methodology developed to design and optimize the experiments, and its operating principle. Two acceleration techniques have been implemented in the Serpent2 code to perform a Total Monte Carlo uncertainty propagation using variance reduction and correlated sampling technique. Their application to the estimation of the expected reaction rates in dosimeters is also discussed, together with the estimation of the impact of the nuisance parameters of aluminium used in the experiment structures.
Highlights
Numerous integral experiments intend to improve the knowledge on the nuclear data and their associated uncertainty
In order to estimate the absorption rate inside the foils located in the metal reflector, a variance reduction is required in order to increase the number of thermal neutrons simulated in the metal reflector plates
The study and the optimisation of the PETALE integral experiment are performed using a TMC approach to quantify the possible gain on the nuclear data
Summary
Numerous integral experiments intend to improve the knowledge on the nuclear data and their associated uncertainty. Such experiments can be employed to validate the present nuclear data libraries and numerical codes, or can be used to improve the nuclear data libraries via assimilation techniques In this frame, the present work is related to the PETALE experimental programme [1,2] during its design phase. The present work is related to the PETALE experimental programme [1,2] during its design phase This programme aims at providing better constraints on the neutron cross sections in heavy reflectors for water reactors such as the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) [3,4]. The. In order to optimize the capability of the PETALE experimental programme to provide useful information, the general objective is to maximize the uncertainty propagation of the reflector plate cross sections on the reaction rates in the foils. The first ACE file (in red in the upper row) has been used as reference and the variation between this file and 32 versions of this cross section is displayed in the lower row
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