Abstract
This paper is a general overview of the Serpent Monte
Carlo reactor physics burnup calculation code. The
Serpent code is a project carried out at VTT Technical
Research Centre of Finland, in an effort to extend the
use
of the continuous-energy Monte Carlo method to lattice
physics applications, including group constant
generation for coupled full-core reactor simulator
calculations. The main motivation of going from
deterministic
transport methods to Monte Carlo simulation is the
capability to model any fuel or reactor type using the
same
fundamental neutron interaction data without major
approximations. This capability is considered important
especially for the development of next-generation reactor
technology, which often lies beyond the modeling
capabilities of conventional LWR codes.
One of the main limiting factors for the Monte Carlo
method is still today the prohibitively long computing
time, especially in burnup calculation. The Serpent code
uses certain dedicated calculation techniques to
overcome this limitation. The overall running time is
reduced significantly, in some cases by almost two orders
of magnitude. The main principles of the calculation
methods and the general capabilities of the code are
introduced. The results section presents a collection of
validation cases in which Serpent calculations are
compared to reference MCNP4C and CASMO-4E results.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Title of host publication | 2009 International Nuclear Atlantic Conference - INAC 2009 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Publication status | Published - 2009 |
MoE publication type | A4 Article in a conference publication |
Event | 2009 International Nuclear Atlantic Conference - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Duration: 27 Sept 2009 → 2 Oct 2009 |
Conference
Conference | 2009 International Nuclear Atlantic Conference |
---|---|
Abbreviated title | INAC 2009 |
Country/Territory | Brazil |
City | Rio de Janeiro |
Period | 27/09/09 → 2/10/09 |