Comparative Analysis of ENDF, JEF and JENDL Data Libraries by Modelling High Temperature Reactors and Plutonium Based Fuel Cycles

Abstract

The gas turbine modular helium-cooled reactor (GT-MHR)¹⁾ is known probably as the best option for the maximum plutonium destruction in once-through cycle, even though the industrial fabrication of coated particle fuel still has to be proved. We perform detailed simulations along these lines by comparing different sets of data libraries in terms of k_eff eigenvalues, the length of the fuel cycle, neutronic characteristics and the evolution of fuel composition in particular. In all cases the same Monteburns code system²⁾ is used making our results dependent only on the evaluated data tables. We show that in general the performance of GT-MHR is not considerably influenced by the choice of the data libraries employed. Nevertheless, a number of major differences among ENDF, ³⁾ JENDL⁴⁾ and JEF⁵⁾ data files are identified and quantified in terms of the averaged one-group cross sections both for military (MPu) and civil (CPu) plutonium based fuel cycles.

Keywords:

• high temperature reactor
• fuel cycle
• data libraries