A Sensitivity Study on Adjuster Rod Incremental Cross Sections in a 480 Channel CANDU Model
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Abstract
Ongoing work at McMaster University seeks to better quantify the propagation of uncertainty on full core simulations of CANDU reactors in support of Best Estimate Plus Uncertainty (BEPU) analysis. While techniques for the quantification of uncertainties on 2D models of CANDU fuel are readily available, such methods have not yet been adapted to the 3D models required to study CANDU reactivity devices. A sensitivity study has been performed to estimate the importance of uncertainties on the different incremental cross sections used to model adjuster rods in a 480 channel CANDU model. By perturbing individual adjuster rod cross sections the thermal neutron absorption cross section has been found to be the dominate factor effecting the behaviour of the full core model. Perturbations of ±10% to this cross section were found to alter the core reactivity by approximately 1.4 mk and lead to relative changes in individual channel powers of approximately 3.5%.
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