Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Reactivity monitoring of the accelerator driven VENUS-F subcritical reactor with the ‘‘current-to-flux” method. / Marie, N; Lecouey, Jean-Luc; Lehaut, Gregory; Chevret, T.; Billebaud, Annick; Chabod, Sebastien; Doligez, Xavier; Kochetkov, Anatoly; Krása, Antonin; Lecolley, F.-R.; Mellier, Frédéric; Uyttenhove, Wim; Vittiglio, Guido; Wagemans, Jan.
In: Annals of nuclear energy, Vol. 128, 03.01.2019, p. 12-23.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Reactivity monitoring of the accelerator driven VENUS-F subcritical reactor with the ‘‘current-to-flux” method
AU - Marie, N
AU - Lecouey, Jean-Luc
AU - Lehaut, Gregory
AU - Chevret, T.
AU - Billebaud, Annick
AU - Chabod, Sebastien
AU - Doligez, Xavier
AU - Kochetkov, Anatoly
AU - Krása, Antonin
AU - Lecolley, F.-R.
AU - Mellier, Frédéric
AU - Uyttenhove, Wim
AU - Vittiglio, Guido
AU - Wagemans, Jan
N1 - Score=10
PY - 2019/1/3
Y1 - 2019/1/3
N2 - In this article, we evaluate the quality and robustness of a method envisaged for the on-line monitoring of the subcriticality of an ADS, called the ‘‘current-to flux” (CTF) method. For this evaluation, we performed a dedicated experiment at the GUINEVERE facility. It is hosted at the SCK-CEN and consists of the subcritical VENUS-F reactor coupled to a continuous external neutron source provided by the GENEPI-3C accelerator. During this experiment, the reactor control rods were moved in various patterns, and the subsequent dynamical evolutions of the reactor reactivity were monitored using nine fission chambers (FCs). The space-energy effects that bias the reactivity values are corrected using a procedure based on simulations computed with the Monte Carlo neutron transport code MCNP. We investigate the precision of this correction procedure by comparison with a reactivity value extracted with the beam interruption technique and we demonstrate its insensitivity to the simplifications made on the VENUS-F reactor modeling and to a simulation key parameter such as the boron carbide density filling the control rods.
AB - In this article, we evaluate the quality and robustness of a method envisaged for the on-line monitoring of the subcriticality of an ADS, called the ‘‘current-to flux” (CTF) method. For this evaluation, we performed a dedicated experiment at the GUINEVERE facility. It is hosted at the SCK-CEN and consists of the subcritical VENUS-F reactor coupled to a continuous external neutron source provided by the GENEPI-3C accelerator. During this experiment, the reactor control rods were moved in various patterns, and the subsequent dynamical evolutions of the reactor reactivity were monitored using nine fission chambers (FCs). The space-energy effects that bias the reactivity values are corrected using a procedure based on simulations computed with the Monte Carlo neutron transport code MCNP. We investigate the precision of this correction procedure by comparison with a reactivity value extracted with the beam interruption technique and we demonstrate its insensitivity to the simplifications made on the VENUS-F reactor modeling and to a simulation key parameter such as the boron carbide density filling the control rods.
KW - Reactivity monitoring
KW - VENUS-F
KW - MYRRHA
KW - current-to-flux
KW - subcritical
KW - ADS
KW - MCNP
KW - control rods
UR - http://ecm.sckcen.be/OTCS/llisapi.dll/open/32375892
U2 - 10.1016/j.anucene.2018.12.033
DO - 10.1016/j.anucene.2018.12.033
M3 - Article
VL - 128
SP - 12
EP - 23
JO - Annals of nuclear energy
JF - Annals of nuclear energy
SN - 0306-4549
ER -
ID: 4788066