ALEPH: An Efficient Approach to Monte Carlo Burn Up

Wim Haeck; Bernard Verboomen; Hamid Aït Abderrahim; Cyrillus Wagemans; Edouard Malambu Mbala

ALEPH: An Efficient Approach to Monte Carlo Burn Up

Wim Haeck, Bernard Verboomen, Hamid Aït Abderrahim, Cyrillus Wagemans, Edouard Malambu Mbala

Research output › peer-review

Abstract

The application of the Monte Carlo method to the field of burn up calculations leads to powerful and accurate tools which are however quite demanding on calculation time because the reaction rates required for burn up calculations are always calculated within an MC code. Trying to solve this problem, we have formulated a more efficient approach to Monte Carlo burn up where we calculate the reaction rates outside the MC code. To demonstrate this, we have implemented it in ALEPH, a Monte Carlo burn up code using MCNP or MCNPX, ORIGEN 2.2 and NJOY 99.90. A decrease of a factor 30 in calculation time has been observed while the results obtained are in excellent agreement with the NEA/OECD Burn-up Credit Criticality Benchmark. It has also been shown that a statistical error of 0.5 % on the total flux in a cell is sufficient to obtain reliable results on the isotope composition.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	ALEPH: An Efficent Approach to Monte Carlo Burn Up
Place of Publication	Illinois, USA
Pages	1-11
State	Published - 17 Apr 2005
Event	Monte Carlo 2005 Topical Meeting - The Monte Carlo Method: Versatility Unbounded in a Dynamic Computing World - Chattanooga, Tennessee Duration: 17 Apr 2005 → 21 Apr 2005

Conference

Conference	Monte Carlo 2005 Topical Meeting - The Monte Carlo Method: Versatility Unbounded in a Dynamic Computing World
Country/Territory	United States
City	Chattanooga, Tennessee
Period	2005-04-17 → 2005-04-21

Cite this

@inproceedings{c5fd4bcbc8a94a99be381b6a0dbafbd2,

title = "ALEPH: An Efficient Approach to Monte Carlo Burn Up",

abstract = "The application of the Monte Carlo method to the field of burn up calculations leads to powerful and accurate tools which are however quite demanding on calculation time because the reaction rates required for burn up calculations are always calculated within an MC code. Trying to solve this problem, we have formulated a more efficient approach to Monte Carlo burn up where we calculate the reaction rates outside the MC code. To demonstrate this, we have implemented it in ALEPH, a Monte Carlo burn up code using MCNP or MCNPX, ORIGEN 2.2 and NJOY 99.90. A decrease of a factor 30 in calculation time has been observed while the results obtained are in excellent agreement with the NEA/OECD Burn-up Credit Criticality Benchmark. It has also been shown that a statistical error of 0.5 % on the total flux in a cell is sufficient to obtain reliable results on the isotope composition.",

keywords = "monte carlo, burn up, fuel cycle",

author = "Wim Haeck and Bernard Verboomen and {A{\"i}t Abderrahim}, Hamid and Cyrillus Wagemans and {Malambu Mbala}, Edouard",

note = "Score = 3; Monte Carlo 2005 Topical Meeting - The Monte Carlo Method: Versatility Unbounded in a Dynamic Computing World ; Conference date: 17-04-2005 Through 21-04-2005",

year = "2005",

month = apr,

day = "17",

language = "English",

pages = "1--11",

booktitle = "ALEPH: An Efficent Approach to Monte Carlo Burn Up",

}

Haeck, W, Verboomen, B, Aït Abderrahim, H, Wagemans, C & Malambu Mbala, E 2005, ALEPH: An Efficient Approach to Monte Carlo Burn Up. in ALEPH: An Efficent Approach to Monte Carlo Burn Up. Illinois, USA, pp. 1-11, Monte Carlo 2005 Topical Meeting - The Monte Carlo Method: Versatility Unbounded in a Dynamic Computing World, Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States, 2005-04-17.

TY - GEN

T1 - ALEPH: An Efficient Approach to Monte Carlo Burn Up

AU - Haeck, Wim

AU - Verboomen, Bernard

AU - Aït Abderrahim, Hamid

AU - Wagemans, Cyrillus

A2 - Malambu Mbala, Edouard

N1 - Score = 3

PY - 2005/4/17

Y1 - 2005/4/17

N2 - The application of the Monte Carlo method to the field of burn up calculations leads to powerful and accurate tools which are however quite demanding on calculation time because the reaction rates required for burn up calculations are always calculated within an MC code. Trying to solve this problem, we have formulated a more efficient approach to Monte Carlo burn up where we calculate the reaction rates outside the MC code. To demonstrate this, we have implemented it in ALEPH, a Monte Carlo burn up code using MCNP or MCNPX, ORIGEN 2.2 and NJOY 99.90. A decrease of a factor 30 in calculation time has been observed while the results obtained are in excellent agreement with the NEA/OECD Burn-up Credit Criticality Benchmark. It has also been shown that a statistical error of 0.5 % on the total flux in a cell is sufficient to obtain reliable results on the isotope composition.

AB - The application of the Monte Carlo method to the field of burn up calculations leads to powerful and accurate tools which are however quite demanding on calculation time because the reaction rates required for burn up calculations are always calculated within an MC code. Trying to solve this problem, we have formulated a more efficient approach to Monte Carlo burn up where we calculate the reaction rates outside the MC code. To demonstrate this, we have implemented it in ALEPH, a Monte Carlo burn up code using MCNP or MCNPX, ORIGEN 2.2 and NJOY 99.90. A decrease of a factor 30 in calculation time has been observed while the results obtained are in excellent agreement with the NEA/OECD Burn-up Credit Criticality Benchmark. It has also been shown that a statistical error of 0.5 % on the total flux in a cell is sufficient to obtain reliable results on the isotope composition.

KW - monte carlo

KW - burn up

KW - fuel cycle

UR - http://ecm.sckcen.be/OTCS/llisapi.dll/open/ezp_26851

UR - http://knowledgecentre.sckcen.be/so2/bibref/2455

M3 - In-proceedings paper

SP - 1

EP - 11

BT - ALEPH: An Efficent Approach to Monte Carlo Burn Up

CY - Illinois, USA

T2 - Monte Carlo 2005 Topical Meeting - The Monte Carlo Method: Versatility Unbounded in a Dynamic Computing World

Y2 - 17 April 2005 through 21 April 2005

ER -