Analysis for the ARIANE BM1 and BM3 samples: nuclide inventory and decay heat

Reactor Physics and Thermal hydraulic Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland

^* e-mail: dimitri-alexandre.rochman@psi.ch

Received: 19 August 2021
Received in final form: 4 October 2021
Accepted: 6 October 2021
Published online: 28 October 2021

Abstract

The Mixed Oxide samples (MOX) ARIANE Post Irradiation Examination samples BM1 and BM3 have been analyzed in this work, based on various two- and three-dimensional models. Calculated and measured nuclide inventories are compared based on CASMO5, SIMULATE and SNF simulations, and calculated values for the decay heat of the assembly containing the samples are also provided. For uncertainty propagation, the covariance information from three different nuclear data libraries are used. Uncertainties from manufacturing tolerances and operating conditions are also considered. The results from these two samples are compared with the ones from two UO₂ samples, namely GU1 and GU3, also from the ARIANE program, applying the same calculation scheme and uncertainty assumptions. It is shown that a two-dimensional assembly model provides better agreement with the measurements than a two-dimensional single pin model, and that the full core three-dimensional model provides similar results compared to the assembly model, although no ¹⁴⁸Nd normalization is applied for the full core model. For the MOX assembly decay heat, as expected, heavy actinides have a higher contribution compared to the cases with the UO₂ samples; additionally, decay heat uncertainties are moderately smaller in the case of the MOX assembly.