Mure Nbi

MCNP Utility for Reactor Evolution
Nuclear Energy of the Future?
Numerical Simulations of the Time

Evolution of Nuclear Reactors
J. N. Wilson, S. David, O. Laulan, O. Méplan,

F. Michel-Sendis, A. Nuttin, L. Perrot, (F. Perdu)
J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005


30 Gtoe/year
20
Total
10 2050
Total
≈ 20 GTeP
Total
2050
Total ≈ 20 GTeP
2050
2000

30 Gtoe/year
20
Total
10 2050
Total
≈ 20 GTeP
Total
2050
Total ≈ 20 GTeP
2050
2000

Hubbert peak

Hubbert peak
“Never again will we pump more than 82m barrels a day”

– T. Boone Pickens 28/8/2004 (Texas Oil Baron & Corporate Raider)

Hubbert peak
Effet de Serre

TotalFinaElf Scenario: Nuclear Power 20% in 2050 (x8)
7
New applications
Oil for Nuclear Power
6
Electricity
5
Heat
Gtoe/y
4
Hydrogen
Nuclear Desalinated water
3 Gas …
2 Coal Hydro
Renewable
1
0
2000 2050
Ref: P.-R. Bauquis, TotalFinaElf (2002)

Natural Uranium 7kg 1kg Enriched Fuel 3 years in a

99.3% 238U + 0.7% 235U 3.5% 235U REP
6kg Depleted Uranium

0.2% 235U
Uranium-235 0.7% of U ore
Consumption Fisssioned 1 ton /(GWe.y)
Enriched 30 tons /(GWe.y)
Mined 200 tons /(GWe.y)
300 GWe / y (full power

World Nuclear Production
equivalent)
World U consumption 60 000 t/y
U reserves (RRA+RSE+speculatives) 16 million tons (?)
Production Potential (at present rate) 280 ans

Z Cm Cm
244 245
Am Am Am
241 242 243
Pu Pu Pu Pu Pu
238 239 240 241 242
fisile Np Np-
237 239
U U U U U U U
232 233 234 235 236 238 239
Pa
232
fertile
Th Th
fertile 232 233

U/Pu Breeding
Z Cm Cm
fp1 fp2 244 245
Am Am Am
241 242 243
Pu Pu Pu Pu Pu
238 239 240 241 242
n Np Np
237 239
U U U U U U U
232 233 234 235 236 n n 238 239
Pa
232
Th Th
232 233

The Breeding Concept
For one fission :
+ν neutrons are produced
−1 neutrons are consumed to produce the fission.
−α neutrons are captured by the fissile nucleus
− (1 + α) neutrons captured by the fertile to regenerate the fissile
neutrons are available for other things

ν – 2(1+α) (parasitic capture, leakage, etc.)
σ capture
α = fissile
Depends only on the fissile nucleus
σ fission
fissile

ν – 2(1+α)
Th/U Cycle
U/Pu Cycle

Generation 4 International Forum

Chartered
Fast Breeder Reactors July 2001
based on U/Pu Cycle E.U.
Na Pb He
R&D needs : R&D needs :

Technology avalaible Corrosion of Innovative fuel & reproc.
but will remain complex structural material (high T, fast neutrons, …)

The Thorium Cycle

• 3-4 times more abundant
• 100-1000 times less minor actinide waste
• Much lower proliferation risk
Z Cm Cm
244 245
Am Am Am
241 242 243
Pu Pu Pu Pu Pu
238 239 240 241 242
fp1 fp2 Np Np
237 239
U U U U U U U
232 233 234 235 236 238 239
Pa
n 232
Th Th
n n 232 233

Sustainable Nuclear Power: Th/U Molten Salt Reactors
- Fluoride salt
- Fuel = Coolant
- On-line reprocessing
- No risk of core melting
R&D needs
- Corrosion
- Chemical process
- Needs of an up-stream
production of U-233

Sustainable Nuclear Power
MCNP : Induced
Utility for ReactorRadiotoxicities
Evolution
The total induced

radiotoxicity depends
strongly on the
reprocessing efficiency
(minimization of the
actinides losses)
PWR – U ore
Wastes /GWe/y.
FBR MSR
U/Pu Th/U
U 4kg <1g
Pu 600 g 20 g
Am 200 g 1.3 g
Cm 50 g 5g

Scenario for France: Transition to an ensemble of

reactors based on EPR/MSR technology with REP/EPR
fueled with Pu/ThO2 (MOX) fuel
GW
Simulations Necessary for:
• Evaluation of the safety of

EPR/ThPu
REP
•Fissile inventory of Pu needed 60
for starting
•Fissile Inventory of 233U

produced
•Amount of waste produced EPR

and its radiotoxicity
MSR
2020 2040 2060 T

An ensemble of utilities for reactor simulation written in C++
• Realistic modelling of Reactors

• Fuel Time Evolution
• Study of transients
• Safety studies
• Sensitivity Analysis
Interfaces the neutron transport code (MCNP),

cross section generation (NJOY), and eventually
reactor thermohydralic calculations

• Currently ~18,000 Lines of code in C++ in 20 different classes

• A large part of which was written in 2004
• December 2004 : First Evolution Results for Realistic Geometries
MURE consists of 4 major parts:

Interface with the particle transport code MCNP (Input
(i) Geometry, tallies, materials, neutron source, etc.)
Interface with NJOY: Constuction of X-sections for given
(ii)
Z,A,I,T
Construction of the network of connections between nuclides
(iii) via reactions and decays (nuclear tree)
(iv) Time evolution of geometry cell materials by resolving the

coupled differential equations (Bateman equations)

Geometry Construction (1): Shapes
• Creation of shape objects

Shapes: 4 basic forms
Shape_ptr S(new Sphere(R,x,y,z));
cylinder sphere Shape_ptr B(new Brick(a,b,c));
• Manipulation
plane brick
S->Translate(dx,dy,dz);
double center[3]={x0,y0,z0};
• Nodes: Union and S->Rotate(phi,theta,psi,center);
Intersection of shapes

Geometry Construction (2): Cells

Cell = Shape(s) + Material
• Creation of cell objects
Shape_ptr Coeur(new Tube(H/2,R));
• Lattices of cells
Shape_ptr Ext(!Coeur);
Cell *OurCore = new Cell(Coeur,H20);
Cell *Outside = new Cell(Ext,0,0);
• Materials, tallies, sources, etc.

EFR Barre d'arrÍt barre de contrÙle

Fertile d'urgence
Fissile
zone 18,3%
zone 22,4%
zone 26,9%
B4C
Plenum acier couverture
Acier
fertile

Construction of cross sections
Interface with NJOY •(Z,A,I) T

Cross section [barn]
235
92
U : σtot at 1200.1 K •ENDF files
103 235
92
U : σtot at 293.6 K
102 Modified cross sections in formats
- ACE
10 - PENDF
-2 -1 2 3 4
10 10 1 10 10 10 10
E [eV]

Decay Parents Reaction Parents
Nuclear Data and the Nuclear

A B C D Tree of Reactions and Decays
λ X <σφ>(t)
E F G H
Decay Daughters Reaction Daughters
• Decay Data
• Available X-sections
• <σφ>(t)
• Fission Yields
• Nuclear Masses

Simplification of the Nuclear Tree

a) Before Simplification b) After Simplification
A A
Decay Decay
(RXRE) (RXRF)
Decay (RX) a) Before Simplification b) After Simplification
X T1/2< Tmin E F A A
Decay Daughters
W1=RE W W2=RF W0
Reaction (W0) 0
RE RF
E F G H X T1/2< Tmin E F
Decay Daughters Reaction Daughters Reaction Daughters
RE RF
E F G H
Decay Daughters Reaction Daughters

The Simplified Tree
Reaction Data
Cut from Tree

Remain in Tree
Decay Data

MURE Evolution: Numerical Integration of ODE’s
Our system of coupled differential equations describes creation

and destruction of around 500 nuclei with huge variation in time scales
from hours to millenia.
Bateman equations are
gMURE->BuildTallies(); currently integrateusing
gMURE->SetPower(17.5e+6); a classic Runge-Kutta
int Nsteps=40; 4th order method.
double *Time new double[Nsteps];
for {int i=0;i<Nsteps;i++} Time[i]=i*4*week;
gMURE->Evolution(Nsteps,T);

Benchmark BN800: collaboration CEA/EDF/MINATOM
RNR of 800 MWe
• Nitride Fuel
• Sodium Coolant
• No Fertile Blanket

Cross sections averaged across the core:

Comparison MINATOM / MURE (JEF2.2)
Absorption Fission
238U 0.25 / 0.33 0.044 / 0.043
235U 0.47 / 0.53 1.79 / 1.91
239Pu 0.44 / 0.53 1.76 / 1.86
FP 0.43 / 0.43 -
Leakage of coolant effect on keff :

Comparaison MINATOM / MURE(JEF2.2) / ERANOS(JEF2.2)
Keff nominal 1.003 0.996 0.990
Vide Na (cœur) 1517 pcm 1695 pcm 1580 pcm

MURE: First evolution tests

1.81 m
22.5 cm
Coeur
0.95 cm
Assembly
REP fueled with mixed

oxide (MOX) Pu/ThO2.
Fuel Rod

Monte Carlo simulation of the exact assembly geometry
REP Assembly






Conclusion
• Consists of a powerful ensemble of utilities in C++, which are easy

to use
• Constucted for Numerical Simulation of reactor evolution,
(experimental apparatus), for Evaluation of Future Reactor Designs
• 18000 lines of code in 20 different classes, currently in the testing
and debugging phase
• Still some work to do: evolution control (keff=constant), graphical
interface, missing shapes (eg. torus, cone), automatic variation of
step size
• Eventual coupling with thermohydraulic code
• Available on demand
• MURE Web site: http://lpsc.in2p3.fr/gpr/MURE/MURE.html
• LPSC Reactor Physics group: http://lpsc.in2p3.fr/gpr/gpr.html


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MCNP Utility for Reactor Evolution

Nuclear Energy of the Future?

Numerical Simulations of the Time

J. N. Wilson, S. David, O. Laulan, O. Méplan,

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

“Never again will we pump more than 82m barrels a day”

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

TotalFinaElf Scenario: Nuclear Power 20% in 2050 (x8)

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

Natural Uranium 7kg 1kg Enriched Fuel 3 years in a

6kg Depleted Uranium

Consumption Fisssioned 1 ton /(GWe.y)

Enriched 30 tons /(GWe.y)

Mined 200 tons /(GWe.y)

300 GWe / y (full power

U reserves (RRA+RSE+speculatives) 16 million tons (?)

Production Potential (at present rate) 280 ans

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

The Breeding Concept

For one fission :

+ν neutrons are produced

−1 neutrons are consumed to produce the fission.

−α neutrons are captured by the fissile nucleus

− (1 + α) neutrons captured by the fertile to regenerate the fissile

neutrons are available for other things

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

Generation 4 International Forum

R&D needs : R&D needs :

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

The Thorium Cycle

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

Sustainable Nuclear Power: Th/U Molten Salt Reactors

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

The total induced

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

Scenario for France: Transition to an ensemble of

• Evaluation of the safety of

•Fissile Inventory of 233U

•Amount of waste produced EPR

2020 2040 2060 T

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

An ensemble of utilities for reactor simulation written in C++

• Realistic modelling of Reactors

Interfaces the neutron transport code (MCNP),

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

• Currently ~18,000 Lines of code in C++ in 20 different classes

MURE consists of 4 major parts:

(iv) Time evolution of geometry cell materials by resolving the

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

Geometry Construction (1): Shapes

• Creation of shape objects

J.N. Wilson, et al. - Niels Bohr Institute, January 2005

Geometry Construction (2): Cells

• Materials, tallies, sources, etc.