[en] An hybrid system is a reactor where an external source of spallation neutrons is supplied to a subcritical multiplying medium. The neutronic parameters characterising such a system include, in addition to the multiplication factor which measures the sub-criticality level, another physics parameter measuring the 'importance' of the external source. The aim of this thesis is, on the one hand, to investigate basic neutronic phenomena taking place in fast sub- critical media in either steady-state or transient operation, and, on the other hand, to assess the performance of the ERANOS neutronic code package applied to the analysis of such systems. To this aim, the first part of the work is focused on the MUSE program and in particular the MUSE3 experiment, which consists of different sub-critical configurations driven by a 14-MeV neutron source. This study has been pursued in two directions : the first one was the interpretation of the calculation-experiment (C-E) discrepancies which lead to the development of original calculation methods for sensitivity studies ; the second one was the experimental analysis which allowed an extensive neutronic characterization of the sub-critical system. A correlation between the external source importance and some directly measurable parameters (i.e. fission rate) was derived. The second part of the thesis addresses representativity issues between an experimental facility and an actual power reactor. Important conclusions have been drawn with regard to the operation of an ADS. Finally, representativity studies lead to the recommendation that a demonstration reactor should be built before an industrial plant is constructed. (author)

[en] The growing stockpile of nuclear waste constitutes a severe challenge for the mankind for more than hundred thousand years. To reduce the radiotoxicity of the nuclear waste, the Accelerator Driven System (ADS) has been proposed. One of the most important issues of ADSs technology is the choice of the appropriate neutron spectrum for the transmutation of Minor Actinides (MA) and Long Lived Fission Products (LLFP). This report presents the analytical analyses obtained with the deterministic ERANOS code system for the YALINA facility within: (a) the collaboration between Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) of USA and the Joint Institute for Power and Nuclear Research (JIPNR) Sosny of Belarus; and (b) the IAEA coordinated research projects for accelerator driven systems (ADS). This activity is conducted as a part of the Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return (RRRFR) Program and the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) of DOE/NNSA.

[en] A comprehensive validation analysis has been performed that incorporates representativity of multiple parameters, experiments, reference designs, and adjustment of the nuclear data. The work involves a new representativity study among selected reactor designs and several experiments. Application, using existing experiments, to reference design like the ABTR and the SFR has demonstrated that it is possible to achieve a significant reduction of uncertainty on the main integral parameters of interest for their neutronic design. This is possible when the set of available experiments are relevant (i.e. representative of the reference designs), of good quality (i.e. of reduced uncertainty on experimental results), and consistent (i.e. not providing conflictive information)

No abstract available

[en] Nuclear data uncertainties and their impact on a very wide range of reactor systems, including their associated fuel cycles, have to be assessed in order to consolidate preliminary design studies for new innovative systems. One specific class of systems is the so-called 'dedicated waste transmuters', that are fast neutron systems (critical or sub-critical, i.e. ADS), loaded with a Minor Actinide (MA) dominated fuel and potentially uranium-free. The availability of very general tools for sensitivity and uncertainty analysis together with new variance-covariance matrix data, produced in a joint effort under the auspices of the OECD-NEA by the world leading nuclear data evaluation groups, makes that endeavor particularly significant. In this report major results of interest for dedicated ADS are discussed and the most important fields and data types are pointed out, where priority improvements are required

[en] The present paper summarizes the major outcomes of a study conducted within a Nuclear Energy Agency Working Party on Evaluation Cooperation (NEA WPEC) initiative aiming to investigate data needs for future innovative nuclear systems, to quantify them and to propose a strategy to meet them

[en] This report presents a review of the activities performed by the five teams involved in the MUSE-4 experimental program. More details are provided on the contribution by ANL during the year 9/02 to 9/03. The ANL activity consisted both in direct participation in the experimental measurements and in the physics analysis of the experimental data, mainly for the reactivity level, adjoint flux and fission rate distributions and the analysis of dynamic measurements for reactivity determination techniques in subcritical systems. The results provided to complete the Benchmark organized by the OECD and the CEA on the experiment MUSE-4 are also presented. Deterministic calculations have been performed via the ERANOS code system in connection with JEF2.2, ENDF/B-V and ENDF/B-VI data files

[en] The OSMOSE program aims at improving the neutronic predictions of advanced nuclear fuels through measurements in the MINERVE facility at the CEA-Cadarache (France) on samples containing the following separated actinides: Th-232, U-233, U-234, U-235, U-236, U-238, Np-237, Pu-238, Pu-239, Pu-240, Pu-241, Pu-242, Am-241, Am-243, Cm-244 and Cm-245. The goal of the experimental measurements is to produce a database of reactivity-worth measurements in different neutron spectra for the separated heavy nuclides. This database can then be used as a benchmark for integral reactivity-worth measurements to verify and validate reactor analysis codes and integral cross-section values for the isotopes tested. In particular, the OSMOSE experimental program will produce very accurate sample reactivity-worth measurements for a series of actinides in various spectra, from very thermalized to very fast. The objective of the analytical program is to make use of the experimental data to establish deficiencies in the basic nuclear data libraries, identify their origins, and provide guidelines for nuclear data improvements in coordination with international programs. To achieve the proposed goals, seven different neutron spectra can be created in the MINERVE facility: UO2 dissolved in water (representative of over-moderated LWR systems), UO2 matrix in water (representative of LWRs), a mixed oxide fuel matrix, two thermal spectra containing large epithermal components (representative of under-moderated reactors), a moderated fast spectrum (representative of fast reactors which have some slowing down in moderators such as lead-bismuth or sodium), and a very hard spectrum (representative of fast reactors with little moderation from reactor coolant). The different spectra are achieved by changing the experimental lattice within the MINERVE reactor. The experimental lattice is the replaceable central part of MINERVE, which establishes the spectrum at the sample location. This configuration leads to a uniform well-behaved system so that the reactor configuration is in the fundamental mode. In fact, an important property of the oscillation experiments performed in the OSMOSE program is that the neutron flux at the sample location has reached the asymptotic fundamental mode of the MINERVE lattice. This property allows the use of simple spatial methods for the analysis (e.g. a lattice code with axial buckling representing the leakage), without loss of accuracy. The computational challenge is then reduced to the need of an appropriate cross-section processing and of accurate resonance shielding algorithms. In the present study, calculations have been performed to investigate the similarity of the flux spectra at the sample position of different OSMOSE configurations with the neutron energy distributions characterizing existing thermal and fast reactors proposed under the advanced reactor programs Gen-IV, GNEP and NGNP

[en] Collaboration is underway between Argonne and the CEA-Cadarache on the preparation of experiments for the ENIGMA program dedicated to the reactor physics experiments supporting the development of gas-cooled fast reactors. Specifications have been defined for the study of control rods in the central void zone of ENIGMA configurations. Deterministic calculations of the rodded configurations have been performed using the ERANOS code system. The various core criticality states for the different phases of the control rod experiments have been determined by specifying the number of additional fuel assemblies required to restore criticality. Control rod worths, flux distributions, and reactions rate distributions for a few nuclides have been analyzed. The study revealed the significant impact of spatial heterogeneity in the rod configurations used for the experiments, indicating flexibility for the control rod experiments

[en] The gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR) is one of six advanced nuclear energy systems being studied under the auspices of the Gen IV International Forum (GIF). In a bilateral International Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (I-NERI) project French and U.S. national laboratories, industry, and universities are collaborating on the development of the GFR. This effort is led by the ANL in the U.S. and the CEA in France. Some of the attractions of the GFR include: (1) Hard spectrum and core breeding ratio, BR ∼ 1. These features allow minimal waste production, improved transmutation capability, optimal and flexible use of natural resources, potentially better economy (because of use of higher power density relative to current thermal gas-cooled systems), and improved non-proliferation (no fertile blanket); (2) Temperature resistant fuel and structure elements that are favorable to tight fission product confinement and system operation at high temperature; (3) High temperature and transparent helium (He) gas coolant that allows a high thermodynamic conversion efficiency, other energy applications (e.g., hydrogen production), and ease of in-service inspection and repair; and (4) Possible direct energy conversion cycle leading to a simpler design, increased conversion efficiency, and lower investment costs. The French strategy for advanced systems includes the development of the GFR and sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) to levels that allow industries to be able to make an informed choice of the fast spectrum system that would provide a sustainable nuclear energy generation option for the future. Current planning calls for the construction of a small experimental research and technology development reactor (ETDR) around 2009 (first operation in 2015) at CEA-Cadarache, France. This would be followed by the construction of a GFR industrial prototype, around 2025. In support of the GFR development efforts, a new physics experimental program (called ENIGMA, Experimental Neutron Investigation of Gas-cooled reactor at Masurca) is being planned for Cadarache. This new experiment would provide better understanding of GFR neutronic features and will be the basis for the extension of current neutronics code validation domain (particularly, the ERANOS code system in France) to the analysis of GFRs. Experimental planning and decisions are ongoing for ENIGMA. One of the items that have been evaluated is the feasibility of obtaining different flux spectra in the ENIGMA reference configuration, giving the flexibility of simulating a large series of proposed gas-cooled fast systems with harder or softer spectra. In order to achieve this goal it was proposed to use a spectral transition zone in the center region of the ENIGMA core configuration. Another goal of the study is to evaluate the impact of the graphite cross-sections on the performance characteristics of the MASURCA configurations. The work was supported by ANL, through the residence of one of the authors at CEA-Cadarache in 2005. In this report, the impacts of the transition zone on the core physics parameters of the reference ENIGMA configuration are summarized