Transport Equivalent Diffusion Constants for Reflector Region in PWRs

Abstract

The diffusion-theory-based nodal method is widely used in PWR core designs for reason of its high computing speed in three-dimensional calculations. The baffle/reflector (B/R) constants used in nodal calculations are usually calculated based on a one-dimensional transport calculation. However, to achieve high accuracy of assembly power prediction, two-dimensional model is needed. For this reason, the method for calculating transport equivalent diffusion constants of reflector material was developed so that the neutron currents on the material boundaries could be calculated exactly in diffusion calculations. Two-dimensional B/R constants were calculated using the transport equivalent diffusion constants in the two-dimensional diffusion calculation whose geometry reflected the actual material configuration in the reflector region. The two-dimensional B/R constants enabled us to predict assembly power within an error of 1.5% at hot full power conditions.

KEYWORDS:

• transport theory
• diffusion theory
• blackness
• diffusion coefficient
• homogenization
• reflectors
• reflection
• accuracy
• B/R constants
• albedo
• PWR type reactors
• PHOENIX-P
• ANC
• CUDISCON
• DIFF
• MCNP
• ENDF/B-VI
• JENDL-3.3