CALCULATION OF CPNB44 EX-CORE DETECTOR WEIGHTING

FUNCTIONS FOR VVER-440 USING MCNP5

Gabriel Farkas, Vladimír Slugeň, Ján Haščík

Slovak University of Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology,

Department of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Ilkovičova 3, 812 19 Bratislava, Slovakia
gabriel.farkas@stuba.sk

ABSTRACT

The paper deals with the problem of weighting factor calculation and the determination of
spatial weighting functions of ex-core detectors for VVER-440 using the Monte Carlo
method. The computational results were obtained by the well-known code MCNP5 allowing
high performance three-dimensional modeling of complex geometry of the in-vessel and ex-
vessel reactor parts. Despite the fact that adjoint methods dominate in practice, forward mode
of code running was chosen and applied to provide more accurate results contrary to the
adjoint one. The calculation was performed for a boron lined proportional counter CPNB44
installed at the 3rd unit of NPP Jaslovské Bohunice. The base is the calculation of ex-core
detector reaction rate induced by a neutron generated in a given volume element of a fuel pin.
All the geometrical details and arising space heterogeneities were taken into account with the
highest accuracy in the complex reactor model. Having obtained computational results, the
weighted least square method was used to fit axial weighting functions. With respect to
horizontal direction, the polyhedral approximation of closed Jordan surfaces was used to find
the proper shape of horizontal weighting factor distribution. Sensitivity and parametric
analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of various reactor operational parameters as
well as the ex-core detector positioning on the weighting function values.

1. INTRODUCTION

The contribution of fuel assemblies to the ex-core detector response depends not only on
the power, but also on the position of the given assembly in the core. The weight of the inner
assemblies is several orders of magnitude lower than the outer ones. Consequently, the
detector response for a given reactor power is strongly influenced by the spatial power
distribution and indirectly by the parameters determining the distribution, such as core
loading pattern, time elapsed, position of control assembly, coolant temperature, etc.
Precise knowledge of the spatial weighting functions can be very beneficial for the
solving of various reactor physical, operational, and safety problems. It can be useful for the
proper interpretation of the startup test measurements, e. g. determination of whether the
measured detector response during the rod-drop experiment supports the predicted reactivity
value from the loading pattern calculations. Another use may be the calculation of ex-core
detector response in deep subcritical reactor states, evaluation of influence of the core loading
pattern on the detector response, and the detector calibration. A very important application
area is the reactor safety analysis. In this case the elaborate weighting functions can be helpful
in investigating how effectively certain transients which cause a sudden change in the power
density distribution can be detected by the ex-core detectors.
The work was based on the previous study of Csom, Czifrus, and Fehér [1]. In this paper,
the developed calculational model and method is described to determine the spatial weighting
functions of ex-core detectors for the VVER-440 reactor type, taking into account different
operational parameters such as reactor power, burnup, boric acid concentration, position of
the control assembly, etc.

2. THE PROBLEM OF WEIGHTING FUNCTION

The spatial weighting function gives a relationship between the spatial power distribution
in the core and the ex-core detector response. The weighting function can be defined in
various ways in dependence on the problem to be solved. In general, it is a position-dependent
contribution of a given part of the core (e. g. fuel assembly, fuel pin or a portion of the fuel
pin) to the ex-core detector response. In this particular case the weighing function value
represents the average number of reactions occurred in the ex-core detector per one source
neutron created in one-twentieth of a fuel pin height.

It follows from the above definition that real ex-core detector response D is obtained by
convolution of two spatial functions - the power distribution function and the weighting
function, and integration of the response function over the whole core region in interest. The
corresponding integral equation is the following:

D = C ⋅ P ⋅ ∫ p( r )w( r )dr , (1)

V

where w( r ) is the spatial weighting function,

p( r ) - the relative reactor power distribution,
P - the total reactor power,
C - a constant,
V - the relevant core volume.

The response of the ex-core detector can be simplified as the following sum approximation:

D ≅ C ⋅ P ⋅ ∑ Wi Pi , (2)
i

where Wi is the spatial weighting factor of ith volume element of the core (i.e. the
twentieth of fuel pin height),
Pi - the corresponding relative power of this volume.
 3. THE CALCULATION METHOD

Considering the complicated geometry of the space between the core volume elements
and the ex-core detector, reliable neutron transport calculation can only be performed using a
technique enabling the treatment of complex three-dimensional geometry. Therefore the
MCNP5 Monte Carlo code was chosen [2]. Calculation of the spatial weighting functions of
ex-core detectors using the Monte Carlo method is not novel. The application of the MCNP
code for determination of weighting functions is reported in the literature [1] and [3]. For
several reasons, the forward method was applied contrary to the “time-saving” adjoint
method. For example, forward mode of run makes possible to eliminate errors due to the
homogenization of the assembly as well as the use of group-wise nuclear data. Neutron
transport calculation was performed by the so named fix-source method. This method enables
to compute single weighting factor values from separate fuel pin elements of the source
region.

4. THE CALCULATION MODEL

Regarding the objective of the work to determine the weighting functions with high
accuracy and reliability, geometric and material part of the reactor model had to be created in
the finest possible details. Precise 3D whole-core model of the VVER-440 was developed in
MCNP5. The model has a wide range of applications in various areas of reactor-physical,
operational and safety calculations and analyses. Horizontal and vertical section of the
VVER-440 model is shown in Fig. 2 and 5. The next step was focused on optimization of the
universal model in order to the effective neutron transport calculation from defined core
source region to the given ex-core detector. Spatial source region boundary depends on the
required accuracy of the calculation. However, reduction in uncertainty below a given
threshold can be unreasonable because of high computation time demands. The geometric
bounds of the source region set in the model cover all of those fuel pin elements whose
weights exceed 0.5 % of the calculated maximum weighting factor value. The total number of
fuel assemblies to be taken into account is 54, see Fig. 1. The calculation of weighting
functions presented in this paper was performed for a boron-lined proportional counter
CPNB44 installed at the 3rd unit of NPP Jaslovské Bohunice. This source-range ionization
chamber is used for the startup reactivity measurements.

In order to minimize the variance as well as CPU time, a combination of the following
variance reduction techniques was applied:
• cut-off energies,
• source variable biasing,
• spatial importance treatment in the space between the core and the ex-core detector.
 Figure 1. Placement of the VVER-440 Figure 2. Horizontal and vertical section
ex-core detectors of the VVER-440 model in MCNP5

Figure 3. Indexing of fuel assemblies in the core Figure 4. Numbering of fuel pins in the
fuel assembly
 Figure 5. Plots from 3D whole-core VVER-440 model in MCNP5

5. THE RESULTS

The paper presents selected calculational results of the axial and horizontal weighting
factor distribution in the source region of the core. Approximation of analytical function was
performed in the axial direction so far. Weighting factor distribution in the horizontal
direction is shown for two selected core layers.

5.1 Axial weighting factor distribution

Axial weighting factor distribution was calculated in the source fuel pins of the core. In
the calculation, 193 source pins was considered all together. These pins are distributed in a
quasi-regular grid which covers 54 fuel assemblies of the core, see Fig. 1. Axial functions of
four selected fuel assembly source pins are presented in this paper. The objective of the axial
approximation was to find an analytical function which properly describes weighting factor
distribution in vertical direction that is along the source fuel pins. Different approximation
functions were investigated and the following polynomial function was proposed as the most
appropriate one:

wa ( z ) = a 0 + a1 z + a 2 z 2 + ... + a M z M
, (3)
 where wa (z ) is axial weighting function of ex-core detector related to a given fuel
pin,
z - height coordinate of a pin element (fractional distance between
the central plane of symmetry of the core and the centre of pin
element, the value is positive above the plane of symmetry),
a 0 , ... , a M are approximation constants.

Degree of the polynomial function depends on the position of given source pins in the
core. It changes from a degree of 8 for closer peripheral pins up to a degree of 4 for distant
ones. Indexing of fuel assemblies is shown in Fig. 3 and fuel pins in Fig. 4.
Another application of the axial approximation is the smoothing of calculated MCNP
weighing factor values for a horizontal approximation. The aim is to improve the quality of
approximation in horizontal direction (in a given layer of the core). In terms of this procedure
the horizontal approximation is applied not on the calculated weighting factor values, but on
the axially smoothed values.
Weighted least square method (WLSM) was chosen for the vertical fitting [4], [5]. Fitting
program based on the WLSM uses Single Value Decomposition method (SVD) to determine
optimal approximation constants values arising from Eq. 1. The program performs weighted
fitting that is uses variance of the calculated weighting factor value as a statistical weight to
divide the difference of MCNP calculated and fitted values before bringing to a square. It
means that points having smaller variance will appear in the approximation with higher
statistical weight. This minimalization can be expressed by the following formula:

2
N Wi − ∑ M a k Z k ( z i ) 
χ = ∑
2 k =0
 → min,
i =1  σi 
  (4)

where χ2 is the chi-square,

Wi - the calculated weighting factor value of data point zi,
σi - the standard deviation of the i-th data point,
ak are approximation parameters,
Z k (zi ) - arbitrary fixed functions of zi, called the basis functions.

The shapes of approximation curves correspond to the theoretically expected weighting

factor distribution in vertical direction. As it follows from Fig. 6, the axial weighting factor
distribution in the closest pin (-11,4,070) to the ex-core detector as well as in the selected
close pin (-10,4,065) is described by a polynomial function of the 8th order, which is a typical
“bell” curve. With respect to the distant pin (-4,-7,127), axial distribution is expressed by a
polynomial function of the 4th order with the shape of “arc” curve. Distribution in the
medium-distant pin (-8,6,065), given by a polynomial function of the 6th order, shows
transient character between the above two curve shapes. Extension of the curves that is
increase in the FWHM (Full Width at Half Maximum) with increasing distance of a given
fuel pin from the ex-core detector is mainly caused by geometrical reasons. In the case of
distant pins, the distance ratio of middle and upper/lower pin elements from the ex-core
detector is smaller than for closer pins. Axial curves are symmetrical in respect of the middle
plane of symmetry of the core because of symmetrical ex-core detector positioning. Axial
weighting factor distribution of selected two fuel assembly source pins are shown in Fig. 7
and 8.
 1,2 Pin (-11,4,070) - MCNP
Pin (-11,4,070) - Fit
Pin (-10,4,065) - MCNP
1,0 Pin (-10,4,065) - Fit
Pin (-4,-7,127) - MCNP
Pin (-4,-7,127) - Fit
Relative Weighting Factor

Pin (-8,6,065) - MCNP

0,8 Pin (-8,6,065) - Fit

0,6

0,4

0,2

0,0
0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8 0,9 1
Fractional Core Height

Figure 6. Relative axial weighting factors of four selected fuel assembly pins

3,0E-05
Pin 070 - MCNP
Pin 070 - Fit
Pin 065 - MCNP
2,5E-05 Pin 065 - Fit
Pin 058 - MCNP
Pin 058 - Fit
2,0E-05 Pin 127 - MCNP
Weighting Factor

Pin 127 - Fit

Pin 121 - MCNP
Pin 121 - Fit
1,5E-05 Pin 007 - MCNP
Pin 007 - Fit
Pin 001 - MCNP
1,0E-05 Pin 001 - Fit

5,0E-06

0,0E+00
0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8 0,9 1
Fractional Core Height

Figure 7. Axial weighting factors of the fuel assembly (-11,4) source pins
 6,0E-07
Pin 127 - MCNP
Pin 127 - Fit
Pin 127 - MCNP
5,0E-07 Pin 127 - Fit
Pin 065 - MCNP
Pin 065 - Fit
4,0E-07 Pin 058 - MCNP
Weighting Factor

Pin 058 - Fit

Pin 001 - MCNP
Pin 001 - Fit
3,0E-07

2,0E-07

1,0E-07

0,0E+00
0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8 0,9 1
Fractional Core Height

Figure 8. Axial weighting factors of the fuel assembly (-4,-7) source pins

5.2 Horizontal weighting factor distribution

The paper presents computational results obtained for two selected layers of the twentieth
of fuel pin height. The first layer (No. 11) is situated immediately above the central plane of
symmetry of the core. The second one (No. 20) is the upper peripheral layer of the core. As it
was mentioned earlier, the twentieths of fuel pins were selected in such a way that they cover
the model in a quasi regular grid. At average, 3 or 4 twentieths of fuel pins (elements) were
calculated for each fuel assembly, with the exception of peripheral core region being closest
to the ex-core detector where 5 - 7 elements per assembly were selected. All together 193 fuel
pin elements were calculated.
The horizontal weighting factor distribution for two selected layers of the core is shown in
Fig. 9 and 10. From the obtained distributions results:
• the major portion of the ex-core detector response is determined by a few peripheral
fuel assemblies located in the closest vicinity of the ex-core detector,
• the weighting factor values vary significantly within a given fuel assembly,
• the difference between the minimal and maximal weighting factor value in the given
fuel assembly is within one order of magnitude,
• in the closest fuel assembly region to the ex-core detector, in the direction from the
maximum weight position to the core centre, approximately eight-fold decrease of
weighting factor values is observed,
• based on the weighting factor distribution in the given layers it can be expected that
horizontal weighting function will “warp” in the upper and lower part of the source
region, i.e. their values will not be mainly determined by the distance from the ex-core
detector,
• weighting contribution of the closest 20 peripheral fuel assemblies to the ex-core
detector signal represents 92 % from the sum of the core weighting factor values,
 • it can be expected that the horizontal weighting function will have a character of
exponential polynomial function of the 3rd - 8th order of magnitude, generally
expressed by Eq. 5 while Eq. 6 can be designed as a specific form.

 K L 
wh ( x, y ) = exp ∑∑ aij x i y j 
 i =0 j =0  (5)

wh ( x , y ) = exp( a0 + a1 x + a 2 y + a 3 x 2 + a 4 xy + a 5 y 2 + a6 x 3 + a7 y 3 + a 8 x 4 + a 9 y 4 +
+ a10 x 5 + a11 y 5 + a12 x 6 + a13 y 6 ), (6)

where wh ( x, y) is the horizontal weighting function of the ex-core detector

x, y
aij , resp. a 0 , ... , a13
related to a given core layer,
are the coordinates of a pin element (fractional distance
between the central plane of symmetry of the core and the
centre of pin element, the value is positive above the plane
of symmetry),
- approximation constants.

Figure 9. Weighting factor distribution in the Figure 10. Weighting factor distribution in
central layer of the core No. 11 the upper peripheral layer of the core No. 20
 6. CONCLUSION

Present practise still points out the need for the determination of spatial weighting
functions of ex-core detectors. The exact knowledge of these functions can be very useful for
the solving of various reactor physical, operational and safety problems especially for
interpretation of reloads start-up measurements. The objective of the work was to present the
methodology for determination of weighting factors and functions at the twentieth of fuel pins
level using Monte Carlo computational approach. This can be achieved even within a
statistical uncertainty of 1 % at acceptable CPU time. The calculational results show that the
major portion of the VVER-440 ex-core detector response (more then 9 %) is attributed to
less than 20 fuel assemblies being located closest to the given detector.

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