C4P-TRAIN code and data system

We develop and apply the C4P-TRAIN code and data system for generation and validation of multi-group nuclear data libraries for the SIMMER code. We have also used C4P-TRAIN for generation of neutron cross-section libraries for the KORIGEN and COUPLE codes.  It includes two parts: (1) C4P for management of nuclear data libraries and (2) TRAIN for performing reactor physics calculations with these libraries and external neutron transport solvers.

One can employ C4P with 560-group “master” libraries - obtained from evaluated nuclear data files – for generation of SIMMER libraries with a smaller number of groups, also with f-factors. We used C4P for generation of a 40-group library (thermal reactor-oriented) and a 72-group one (fast-reactor-oriented) for SIMMER.  We also used C4P for adding and excluding data to/from an 11-group SIMMER library, mainly based on the KFKINR 26-group library.

With TRAIN on can prepare composition and temperature-dependent cross-sections for neutron transport codes such as PARTISN and perform calculations with 560 or smaller number of energy groups. We have used TRAIN for simulation of irradiation experiments, decay heat calculation and other activities in support of SIMMER studies. With 560 groups one can get quite accurate results as shown below, but we often generate and use libraries with a smaller number of groups in order to make the calculations faster.

The figure below shows deviations – as dashed lines - between the criticality values computed with 172-group, 560-group and 1968-group libraries from reference ones (obtained with MCNP and continuous energy data) for a number of selected compositions related to different reactor types (see more details in Ref. 1). The MCNP statistical uncertainties are in solid red. One may see that the deviations between the criticality values obtained with the 560-group and continuous energy data are small, about 200 pcm (0.2%) or less. The 172-group structure (halved deviations are shown in the Fig. 1 below) is much less accurate than the 560-group one for the considered cases, the 1968 one is similarly accurate.

Fig. 1. Deviations of 172-, 560- and 1968-group reactivity values from those of MCNP, MCNP kinf uncertainties

 

References:

  1. A. Rineiski, V. Sinitsa, F. Gabrielli, W. Maschek, C4P Cross-Section Libraries for Safety Analyses with SIMMER and Related Studies, M&C 2011, May 8-12, 2011, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  2. A. Rineiski, “Decay heat production in a TRU burner”, Progress in Nuclear Energy 50 (2008) 377–381