• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.21-34
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• 2015

Source term analysis should be carried out to prepare the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant. In the planning phase of decommissioning, the classification of decommissioning wastes and the cost evaluation are performed based on the results of source term analysis. In this study, the verification of MCNP/ORIGEN-2 model is carried out for preliminary source term calculation for Wolsung Unit 1. The inventories of actinide nuclides and fission products in fuel bundles with different burn-up were obtained by the depletion calculation of MCNPX code modelling the single channel. Two factors affecting the accuracy of source terms were investigated. First, the neutron spectrum effect on neutron induced activation calculation was reflected in one-group microscopic cross-sections of relevant radio-isotopes using the results of MCNP simulation, and the activation source terms calculated by ORIGEN-2 using the neutron spectrum corrected library were compared with the results of the original ORIGEN-2 library (CANDUNAU.LIB) in ORIGEN-2 code package. Second, operation history effect on activation calculation was also investigated. The source terms on both pressure tubes and calandria tubes replaced in 2010 and calandria tank were evaluated using MCNP/ORIGEN-2 with the neutron spectrum corrected library if the decommissioning wastes can be classified as a low level waste.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.191-195
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• 2016

Background: The current status of ACE format MCNP/MCNPX libraries by NDC of KAERI is presented with a short description of each library. Materials and Methods: Validation calculations with recent nuclear data evaluations ENDF/BV-II. 0, ENDF/B-VII.1, JEFF-3.2, and JENDL-4.0 have been carried out by the MCNP5 code for 119 criticality benchmark problems taken from the expanded criticality validation suite supplied by LANL. The overall performances of the ACE format KN-libraries have been analyzed in comparison with the results calculated with the ENDF/B-VII.0-based ENDF70 library of LANL. Results and Discussion: It was confirmed that the ENDF/B-VII.1-based KNE71 library showed better performances than the others by comparing the RMS errors and ${chi}^2$ values for five benchmark categories as well as whole benchmark problems. ENDF/B-VII.1 and JEFF-3.2 have a tendency to yield more reliable MCNP calculation results within certain confidence intervals regarding the total uncertainties for the $k_{eff}$ values. Conclusion: It is found that the adoption of the latest evaluated nuclear data might ensure better outcomes in various research and development areas.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.1002-1007
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• 2020

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate a spectrum formulation set employed to modify the neutron spectrum of D-D fusion neutrons in a IS plasma focus device using GEANT4, MCNPX2.6, and FLUKA codes. The set consists of a moderator, reflector, collimator and filters of fast neutron and gamma radiation, which placed on the path of 2.45 MeV neutron energy. The treated neutrons eliminate cancerous tissue with minimal damage to other healthy tissue in a method called neutron therapy. The system optimized for a total neutron yield of 10⁹ (n/s). The numerical results indicate that the GEANT4 code for the cubic geometry in the Beam Shaping Assembly 3 (BSA3) is the best choice for the energy of epithermal neutrons.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.225-230
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• 2006

With the advent of inexpensive computing power over the past two decades, applications of Monte Carlo radiation transport techniques have proliferated dramatically. At Los Alamos, the Monte Carlo codes MCNP5 and MCNPX are used routinely on personal computer platforms for radiation shielding analysis and dosimetry calculations. These codes feature a rich palette of variance reduction (VR) techniques. The motivation of VR is to exchange user efficiency for computational efficiency. It has been said that a few hours of user time often reduces computational time by several orders of magnitude. Unfortunately, user time can stretch into the many hours as most VR techniques require significant user experience and intervention for proper optimization. It is the purpose of this paper to outline VR strategies, tested in practice, optimized for several common radiation shielding tasks, with the hope of reducing user setup time for similar problems. A strategy is defined in this context to mean a collection of MCNP radiation transport physics options and VR techniques that work synergistically to optimize a particular shielding task. Examples are offered in the areas of source definition, skyshine, streaming, and transmission.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.197-203
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• 2017

This study purpose is propose the basic data for selecting the optimal target material by analyzing the photon characteristics of various materials which was located in the head of medical linear accelerator. In this study, energy spectrum of 6, 15 MV photon beams were compared and analyzed for 13 target materials using MCNPX of Monte Carlo method. The mean energy for the 6 MV energy spectrum was 1.69 ~ 1.84 MeV and that for the 15 MV was 3.38 ~ 3.56 MeV, according to the target material. The flux for the 6 MV energy spectrum was $1.64{\times}10^{-5}{\sim}1.80{\times}10^{-5}{\sharp}/cm^2/e$ and that for the 15 MV was $1.76{\times}10^{-4}{\sim}1.85{\times}10^{-4}{\sharp}/cm^2/e$. The analysis shows that the average energy and flux increase with higher atomic number of the target material. Based on this study, it is possible to present the basic data about the physical characteristics of the photon, and it will be possible to select the target later considering economic, efficiency and physical aspect.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.111-115
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• 2016

Background: The scattered photons cause reduction of the contrast of radiographic image and it results in the degradation of the quality of the image. In order to acquire better quality image, an anti-scattering x-ray gird should be equipped in radiography system. Materials and Methods: The X-ray anti-scattering grid of the inclined type based on the hybrid concept for that of parallel and focused type was tested by MCNP code. The MCNPX 2.7.0 was used for the simulation based test. The geometry for the test was based on the IEC 60627 which was an international standard for diagnostic X-ray imaging equipment-Characteristics of general purpose and mammographic anti-scatter grids. Results and Discussion: The performance of grids with four inclined shielding material types was compared with that of the parallel type. The grid with completely tapered type the best performance where there were little performance difference according to the degree of inclination. Conclusion: It was shown that the grid of inclined type had better performance than that of parallel one.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.4671-4678
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• 2022

The purpose of this comprehensive research is to observe the impact of scintillator crystal type on entire detection process. For this aim, MCNPX (version 2.6.0) is used for designing of a physical plastic scintillation detector available in our laboratory. The modelled detector structure is validated using previous studies in the literature. Next, different types of plastic scintillation crystals were assessed in the same geometry. Several fundamental detector properties are determined for six different plastic scintillation crystals. Additionally, the deposited energy quantities were computed using the MCNPX code. Although six scintillation crystals have comparable compositions, the findings clearly indicate that the crystal composed of PVT 80% + PPO 20% has superior counting and detecting characteristics when compared to the other crystals investigated. Moreover, it is observed that the highest deposited energy amount, which is a result of the highest collision number in the crystal volume, corresponds to a PVT 80% + PPO 20% crystal. Despite the fact that plastic detector crystals have similar chemical structures, this study found that performing advanced Monte Carlo simulations on the detection discrepancies within the structures can aid in the development of the most effective spectroscopy procedures by ensuring maximum efficiency prior to and during use.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.8
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• pp.1349-1354
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• 2018

Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) is widely used for the determination of trace elements in geological samples in Iran. In this paper, we have calculated the detection limits of neutron activation analysis (NAA) for some of the common elements in such samples utilizing the ORIGEN and MCNP codes and verified the simulations using the experimental results of three soil standard reference materials, namely, G02.SRM, G18.SRM, and G28.SRM. The results show that while the detection limit of ICP-AES method is usually in the mg/kg range, it is represented to the ${\mu}g/kg$ range for most of the elements of interest using the NAA method, and the simulations can be verified in a tolerance range of 20%.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.224-230
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• 2010

Purpose: We designed the aft-multiple-slit (AMS) system to reduce scatter in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). As a preliminary study, we performed a Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code (MCNP) simulation to verify the effectiveness of this system. Materials and Methods: The MCNPX code was used to build the AMS geometry. An AMS is an equi-angled arc to consider beam divergence. The scatter-reduced projection images were compared with the primary images only and the primary plus scatter radiation images with and without AMS to evaluate the effectiveness of scatter reduction. To obtain the full 2 dimensional (2D) projection image, the whole AMS system was moved to obtain closed septa of the AMS after the first image acquisition. Results: The primary radiation with and without AMS is identical to all the slit widths, but the profiles of the primary plus scattered radiation varied according to the slit widths in the 2D projection image. The average scatter reduction factors were 29%, 15%, 9%, and 8% when the slit widths were 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, and 20 mm, respectively. Conclusion: We have evaluated the scatter reduction effect of the AMS in CBCT imaging using the Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. A preliminary study based on the MCNP simulations showed a mount of scatter reduction with the proposed system.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.380-387
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• 2015

A lead slowing-down spectrometer (LSDS) system is a promising nondestructive assay technique that enables a quantitative measurement of the isotopic contents of major fissile isotopes in spent nuclear fuel and its pyroprocessing counterparts, such as $^{235}U$, $^{239}Pu$, $^{241}Pu$, and, potentially, minor actinides. The LSDS system currently under development at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (Daejeon, Korea) is planned to utilize a high-flux ($>10^{12}n/cm^2{\cdot}s$) neutron source comprised of a high-energy (30 MeV)/high-current (~2 A) electron beam and a heavy metal target, which results in a very intense and complex radiation field for the facility, thus demanding structural shielding to guarantee the safety. Optimization of the structural shielding design was conducted using MCNPX for neutron dose rate evaluation of several representative hypothetical designs. In order to satisfy the construction cost and neutron attenuation capability of the facility, while simultaneously achieving the aimed dose rate limit (< $0.06{\mu}Sv/h$), a few shielding materials [high-density polyethylene (HDPE)eBorax, $B_4C$, and $Li_2CO_3$] were considered for the main neutron absorber layer, which is encapsulated within the double-sided concrete wall. The MCNP simulation indicated that HDPE-Borax is the most efficient among the aforementioned candidate materials, and the combined thickness of the shielding layers should exceed 100 cm to satisfy the dose limit on the outside surface of the shielding wall of the facility when limiting the thickness of the HDPE-Borax intermediate layer to below 5 cm. However, the shielding wall must include the instrumentation and installation holes for the LSDS system. The radiation leakage through the holes was substantially mitigated by adopting a zigzag-shape with concrete covers on both sides. The suggested optimized design of the shielding structure satisfies the dose rate limit and can be used for the construction of a facility in the near future.