CORE BURN-UP ANALYSIS OF THE RSG-GAS RESEARCH REACTOR USING DETERMINISTIC AND STOCHASTIC METHODS

Abstract

Due to several characteristics, such as geometry, compact core, high coolant flow, and high neutron flux, the burn-up study of the RSG-GAS multi-purpose reactor provides challenges when employing a neutronic calculation. For the burn-up analysis, two calculating methodologies are used in the RSG-GAS: deterministic and probabilistic methods. The deterministic codes such as WIMSD-5B and Batan-FUEL are utilized, whereas the continuous-energy Monte Carlo code Serpent 2 is used for the stochastic method. WIMSD-5B is being used to produce a four-group cross-section that is needed by Batan-FUEL to do full core diffusion calculations. Burn-up calculations were performed at the whole fuel assemblies inside the core to see if the deterministic code, WIMSD-5B/Batan-FUEL, could accurately replicate the burn-up behavior of the RSG-GAS research reactor. The Serpent 2 calculation was also done with the exact models to provide a comparison. The results show that both Serpent 2 and WIMSD-5B/Batan-FUEL can perform the RSG-GAS burn-up analysis if appropriate treatments are made to the deterministic codes at both the assembly and core levels. There is a 5% difference in calculated fuel burn-up between deterministic and stochastic approaches.