CRITICALITY SAFETY ANALYSIS OF FRESH AND SPENT FUEL

STORAGE AND HANDLING FACILITIES FOR VVER REACTOR UNIT

USING MCNP5

G. Farkas1, V. Slugeň1, J. Haščík1, B. Vrban1, J. Lüley1, M. Petriska1, P. Urban2

1
Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Institute of Nuclear and Physical Engineering,
Ilkovicova 3, 812 19 Bratislava, Slovakia
2
SE a.s., NPP Mochovce, Slovakia

gabriel.farkas@stuba.sk

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Objective

To perform Criticality Safety Analysis of fresh and spent fuel

storage and handling facilities for VVER-440 units of the NPP
Mochovce at very conservative conditions.

The following facilities were investigated:

 Spent fuel storage pool – compact and reserve grid
 Fresh fuel storage with transport containers and storage grids
 T-12 transport cask and revolving table with 6 x T-12 casks

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Analysis Code and Validation (1)

The criticality safety analysis ⇒ was based on determination of

the effective neutron multiplication factor (keff) → key parameter
for CS.

MCNP5 1.40 code and ENDF/B-VII.0 data were used.

Code validation ⇒ was conducted analyzing the BaW XI (2) case

of the Criticality Safety Validation Suite [1].

The validation calculation was run with 200 active cycles ⇒ this
number was sufficient to rend the computation uncertainty from
the MCNP5 calculation essentially negligible relative to the given
benchmark uncertainty.

Based on this validation ⇒ bias and its uncertainty were

calculated.

[1] International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments,

NEA/NSC/DOC(95)3, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, ISBN 978-92-64-99140-8 (2006)

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Analysis Code and Validation (2)

The bias and its uncertainty were calculated according formulas:

∆ bias = k eff
bench
− k effcalcul

σ bias = σ bench
2
+ σ calcul
2

Based on this validation ⇒ bias and its uncertainty to be taken into

consideration for CSA are:
∆ bias = 0.0001 σ bias = 0.0014

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Evaluation Method (1)

Conservative approach was applied and calculation of keff was

performed for normal and various postulated emergency
conditions in order to evaluate the final maximal keff values.

Regarding the spent fuel storage pool (compact & reserve grid) all
conditions improving neutron multiplication were taken into
account.

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Evaluation Method (2)

The maximal effective multiplication factor ⇒ evaluated as a sum

of the calculated conservative keff, the systematic error, and the
combined uncertainty multiplied by 1.645 which is the one-sided
tolerance limit factor for a normal distribution at 95% probability.

k effmax = k effconser + ∆ bias + 1.645 σ bench

2
+ σ calcul
2
+ σ conser
2

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Model (1)

The following detailed models were developed in MCNP5 for

criticality safety analysis:

 Compact grid of the spent nuclear fuel storage pool ⇒ 603

hexagonal absorption tubes filled with fuel assemblies,
54 hermetic tubes, supporting plate, and concrete well.
 Reserve grid of the spent nuclear fuel storage pool ⇒ 296
fuel assemblies, 54 hermetic tubes, supporting plate, and
concrete well.
 Fresh fuel storage: (6x4) transport container grid and (6x10)
storage grid.
 Handling facilities: T-12 transport cask and revolving table
with 6 x T-12.

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Model (2) – Compact & Reserve Grid of the Spent Fuel Storage Pool

COMPACT GRID RESERVE GRID

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Model (3) – Working Fuel Assembly (2nd gen. type, 4.87 % enr.)

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Model (4) – Fuel Part of the Control Assembly (2nd gen. type, 4.87 % enr.)

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Results (1) – Compact Grid of the Spent Fuel Storage Pool

CASE - A CASE - B CASE – C1(D1) CASE – C2(D2)

All positions (AT + HT) Loading with 4.87 % Loading with 4.87 % Loading with 4.87 %
loaded with enr. fresh FAs and enr. fresh FAs and enr. fresh FAs and
4.87 % enr. fresh FAs 4 empty layers 4 layers of 45 (50) 4 layers of 45 (50)
MWd/kg burned FAs MWd/kg burned FAs

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Results (2) – Reserve Grid of the Spent Fuel Storage Pool

CASE – R1 CASE – R2

Full loading (including HT) with Full loading (including HT) with
4.87 % enr. fresh FAs 45 MWd/kg burned FAs

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Results (3) – Compact Grid of the Spent Fuel Storage Pool (emergency cases)

Investigated emergency cases:

Diagonal downfall of fresh FA

Longitudinal downfall of fresh FA

Longitudinal downfall of fresh FA on the hermetic tubes

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Results (4) – Compact Grid of the Spent Fuel Storage Pool (emergency cases)
DIAGONAL FA DOWNFALL LONGITUDINAL FA DOWNFALL
CASE - E11 CASE - E12 CASE - E21 CASE - E22

• Loading with fresh FAs • Loading with fresh FAs • Loading with fresh FAs • Loading with fresh FAs
• 4 empty layers • 4 layers of 45 MWd/kg • 4 empty layers • 4 layers of 45 MWd/kg
- burned FAs - burned FAs

LONGITUDINAL FA DOWNFALL ON HERMETIC T.

CASE - E31 CASE- E32

• Loading with fresh FAs • Loading with fresh FAs

• 4 empty layers • 4 layers of 45 MWd/kg
- burned FAs

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Model (5) – Fresh Fuel Storage Facility

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Results (5) – Fresh Fuel Storage Facility

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Model (6) – Handling Facilities

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Results (6) – Handling Facilities

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Conclusion

 Criticality issues associated with the fresh and spent fuel storages
and handling facilities were investigated for NPP Mochovce (2 x
VVER-440) using MCNP5.
 Strong conservative approach was applied to calculate maximal
multiplication factor values for postulated conditions.
 The outcomes showed that the requirement of safety regulations
to ensure 5 % subcriticality was met except one especially
conservative case of the fully loaded compact grid with fresh 4.87
% enriched Gd-II type of FAs. Only in this case, the calculated
value exceeded the required subcriticality limit of 0.95 by 0.55 %.
 Analyses confirmed that nuclear criticality safety criteria in terms
of the fresh and spent fuel storages and handling facilities are
satisfied even at very conservative conditions.

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 Thank you for your attention!

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