Validation of Neutron Evaluated Data Based on The Experimental Reactivity Worth of Tungsten Target in CiADS

Wei Jiang,Liang Chen,Long Gu,Rui Yu,Jin-Yang Li,Qi Zhou,Lu Zhang,Qing-Fu Zhu,Yong Dai

doi:10.1051/epjconf/202022504026

Abstract

Measurement of a cylindrical tungsten target reactivity worth has been performed on the light water zero-power reactor of VENUS-II at China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE) in order to verify the neutron evaluated data related to the engineering design of Chinese initiative Accelerator Driven Systems (CiADS). The reactivity worth of the tungsten target was measured and processed as -1.234±0.114mk by a period method. The experimental result was compared with the simulation ones calculated by MCNP with five different libraries, i.e., ENDF/B-VII.0, ENDF/B-VII.1, JENDL-4.0, CENDL-3.1 and JEFF-3.2. By comparing the results of experiment and simulation, the simulated results from ENDF/B-VII.0, JENDL-4.0 and JEFF-3.2 are higher than the experimental result, however that from CENDL-3.1 is lower. The result from ENDF/B-VII.1 library shows better agreement with the experiment one and the relative deviation is less than 2%. Through the analysis of the differences of the results, non-tungsten elements cross sections in the ENDF/B-VII.1 mainly affect the tungsten radiation capture and elastic scattering reaction rates in the energy range of 10-9-10-7 MeV, which results in a better simulated tungsten target reactivity worth value. Therefore, it is recommended that the tungsten target reactivity worth should be calculated with the ENDF/B-VII.1.

Highlights

Chinese initiative Accelerator Driven Systems (CiADS) project has been started in China [1]
The experimental and calculated results of tungsten target reactivity worth values are shown in Fig. 2, where the shaded area indicates the experimental results within the error range, and the five dots respectively represent the MCNP simulated results with five cross section libraries
The MCNP simulations were performed with ENDF/B-VII.0, ENDF/B-VII.1, JENDL-4.0, JEFF-3.2 and CENDL-3.1, respectively

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Chinese initiative Accelerator Driven Systems (CiADS) project has been started in China [1]. In order to build the CiADS experimental setup, it is necessary that the nuclear reactor and spallation target coupling experiments should be performed. The measurement of the cylindrical tungsten target reactivity worth was performed on VENUS-II light water reactor by the period method. The experimental tungsten target reactivity worth was compared with the results calculated by MCNP with the different libraries, i.e. ENDF/B-VII.0 [16], ENDF/B-VII.1 [17], JENDL-4.0 [18], JEFF-3.2 [19] and CENDL-3.1 [20]. The structures and materials in the VENUS-II light water reactor are relatively simple, which is helpful in validating the neutron nuclear data libraries. Experimental principle and data processing The reactivity ρ values of the VENUS-II light water reactor are measured by the period method [22]. The experimental error comes from the deviations of T measurement and the uncertainties of the simulated kinetic parameters [25]

MONTE CARLO SIMULATION

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE WORK