Validation of Serpent-SUBCHANFLOW-TRANSURANUS pin-by-pin burnup calculations using experimental data from a Pre-Konvoi PWR reactor

The focus of this work is the validation of Serpent-SUBCHANFLOW-TRANSURANUS, a high-fidelity multiphysics system coupling Monte Carlo neutron transport, subchannel thermalhydraulics and fuel-performance analysis. A full-core pin-by-pin burnup calculation for the first operating cycle of a Pre-Konvoi PWR plant is presented and the results are assessed using experimental data. The critical boron concentration and a set of pin-level neutron flux profiles are compared against measurements, with very good agreement. The impact of using fuelperformance analysis is discussed comparing the results obtained with the three-code coupling with the ones using the traditional neutronic-thermalhydraulic approach. The studies presented here are part of the final stage of the EU Horizon 2020 McSAFE project, closing the development cycle of the Serpent-SUBCHANFLOWTRANSURANUS system, from implementation to validation.

GARCIA Manuel;  BILODID Yurii;  BASUALDO PERELLO Joaquin;  TUOMINEN Riku;  GOMMLICH André;  LEPPANEN J.;  VALTAVIRTA Ville;  IMKE Uwe;  FERRARO Diego;  VAN UFFELEN Paul;  SEIDL Marcus;  SANCHEZ ESPINOZA Victor Hugo; 

2021-04-27

ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA

JRC121950

0029-5493 (online),   

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0029549321001254?via%3Dihub,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC121950,   

10.1016/j.nucengdes.2021.111173 (online),