High-Precision Monte Carlo Calculations, Experimental Verification and Adjustment of Fluences in the Pressure Vessel Cavity of a VVER-1000

Monte Carlo calculations based on a three-dimensional pinwise representation of the sources and considering all known geometrical and composition details were used for the determination not only of fluence integrals but also of fluence spectra. This was possible by the application of the specially developed code system TRAMO for Monte Carlo calculations and data preparation. A good statistical accuracy was achieved by successfully modifying variance reduction on the basis of the weight window method. Multigroup data sets based on ENDF/B-VI, JEF-2 and the Russian ABBN library were applied. The influence of different data libraries and numbers of groups was investigated. For the realistic representation of fission sources the burnup and the power history for each fuel pin and height layer was considered.
The calculations were verified and adjusted by activation measurements. ⁵⁴Fe(n,p)⁵⁴Mn, ⁵⁸Ni(n,p)⁵⁸Co, ⁴⁶Ti(n,p)⁴⁶Sc, ⁶³Cu(n, )⁶⁰Co and ⁹³Nb(n,n')Nb^93m detectors were irradiated during fuel cycle 5 in the ex-vessel cavity of the Russian VVER-1000 type reactor Balakovo-3 and analysed afterwards by advanced gamma spectrometric methods. For the detectors with the shortest half-lifes "detector fluences" were calculated considering the change of the fission source distribution during the cycle. The calculated end-of-irradiation activities were compared with those measured. The agreement was found better than expected according to uncertainty considerations. Furthermore, the calculated fluence spectra were adjusted to the experimental activities taking into account the variances and correlations of calculated input spectra, detector sensitivities and measurements. Using the adjustment code COSA2 based on the generalized least squares method best estimate fluence spectra and fluence integrals were obtained.
The investigations reported on were accomplished using reactor data and irradiation facilities provided in connection with the Balakovo-3 Interlaboratory Pressure Vessel Dosimetry Experiment conducted by the Scientific and Engineering Centre of Russian GOSATOMNADZOR.