• Title/Summary/Keyword: nuclear matrix

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Efficiency calibration of a coaxial HPGe detector-Marinelli beaker geometry using an 152Eu source prepared in epoxy matrix and its validation by efficiency transfer method

  • Yucel, Haluk;Zumrut, Senem;Nartturk, Recep Bora;Gedik, Gizem
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.51 no.2
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    • pp.526-532
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    • 2019
  • In this study, an in-house $^{152}Eu$ calibration source was produced from a custom epoxy matrix with a density of ${\rho}=1.14g\;cm^{-3}$, which is chemically stable and durable form after its solidification. The homogeneity of $^{152}Eu$ in matrix was obtained better than 98%. For a Marinelli beaker geometry, an efficiency calibration procedure was applied to a n-type, coaxial, 78.5% relative efficient HPGe detector in the energy range of 121.7-1408.0 keV by using in-house $^{152}Eu$ calibration source. Then the measured efficiencies for Marinelli geometry were compared with the results calculated by MEFFTRAN and ANGLE softwares for the validation. Although MEFFTRAN and ANGLE have two different efficiency transfer algorithms to calculate the efficiencies, they usually need to use a reliable and accurate reference efficiency values as input data. Hence, reference efficiency values were obtained experimentally from a multinuclide standard source for the same detector-Marinelli geometry. In the present source characterization, the corrections required for self-absorption and true coincidence summing effects for $^{152}Eu$ gamma-rays were also obtained for a such close counting geometry condition. The experimental results confirmed the validity of efficiency calculations obtained by MEFFTRAN and ANGLE softwares that are calculation tools.

UNCERTAINTY PROPAGATION ANALYSIS FOR YONGGWANG NUCLEAR UNIT 4 BY MCCARD/MASTER CORE ANALYSIS SYSTEM

  • Park, Ho Jin;Lee, Dong Hyuk;Shim, Hyung Jin;Kim, Chang Hyo
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.46 no.3
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    • pp.291-298
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    • 2014
  • This paper concerns estimating uncertainties of the core neutronics design parameters of power reactors by direct sampling method (DSM) calculations based on the two-step McCARD/MASTER design system in which McCARD is used to generate the fuel assembly (FA) homogenized few group constants (FGCs) while MASTER is used to conduct the core neutronics design computation. It presents an extended application of the uncertainty propagation analysis method originally designed for uncertainty quantification of the FA FGCs as a way to produce the covariances between the FGCs of any pair of FAs comprising the core, or the covariance matrix of the FA FGCs required for random sampling of the FA FGCs input sets into direct sampling core calculations by MASTER. For illustrative purposes, the uncertainties of core design parameters such as the effective multiplication factor ($k_{eff}$), normalized FA power densities, power peaking factors, etc. for the beginning of life (BOL) core of Yonggwang nuclear unit 4 (YGN4) at the hot zero power and all rods out are estimated by the McCARD/MASTER-based DSM computations. The results are compared with those from the uncertainty propagation analysis method based on the McCARD-predicted sensitivity coefficients of nuclear design parameters and the cross section covariance data.

Distribution Analysis of TRISO-Coated Particles in Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated Fuel Composites

  • Lee, Hyeon-Geun;Kim, Daejong;Lee, Seung Jae;Park, Ji Yeon;Kim, Weon-Ju
    • Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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    • v.55 no.4
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    • pp.400-405
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    • 2018
  • FCM nuclear fuel, a concept proposed as an accident tolerant fuel in light water reactors, consists of TRISO fuel particles embedded in a SiC matrix. The uniform dispersion of internal TRISO fuel particles in the FCM fuel is very important for improving the fuel efficiency. In this study, FCM sintered pellets with various volume ratios of TRISO-coated particles were prepared by hot press sintering. The distribution of TRISO-coated particles was quantitatively analyzed using X-ray ${\mu}CT$ and expressed as a dispersion uniformity index. TRISO-coated particles were most uniformly dispersed in the FCM pellets prepared using only overcoated TRISO particles without mixing of additional SiC matrix powder. FCM pellets with uniformly dispersed TRISO particle volume fraction of up to 50% were prepared using overcoated TRISO particles with varying thickness.