Nuclear Analysis of the Eurofer 97

Alloy by MCNP-4C2 Code

G. Farkas, V. Slugeň, P. Domonkoš
Department of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology,
Slovak University of Technology, Ilkovičova 3, 812 19 Bratislava, Slovakia

MONTE CARLO CALCULATIONS

AIM Calculation model
Fe-9%Cr
Geometry and material
The main aim of the work is to present the results of nuclear analysis specimen
12 mm
• The slab 12 x 12 x 0.5 mm, divided into 50 layers with thickness of 10 µm
of the Fe - 9%Cr alloy performed by transport Monte Carlo code system void • Fe – 91.0 %, Cr – 9.0 %, mass density – 7.798 g/cm3
MCNP-4C2. The outcomes of the calculation can be useful for Planar
neutron source 12 mm Neutron source
evaluation and description of the radiation damage process in the
material under the influence of the high neutron load. • Planar source of monoenergetic neutrons with energy of 14.1 MeV
0.5 mm

Distribution of neutron fluency in the specimen Distribution of primary knock-on atoms in the specimen
0,703

[neutron/(source neutron.cm )]
0,0727
MOTIVATION

2
normalized neutron fluency
0,702 0,0726

[atoms/(source neutron.cm )]
0,0725

3
0,701
0,0724

&

number of PKA
0,700 0,0723
0,0722
0,699 0,0721

ASSETS 0,698
0,0720
0,0719
0,697 0,0718
0,0717
0,696
0,0716
0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 1 8 15 22 29 36 43 50

• The Fe - 9%Cr steel called Eurofer is the reference structural material for depth (mm) layer

the DEMO blanket concepts presently developed in the EU to be tested in Average normalized neutron fluency Average number ofprimary knock-on atoms
• 7.012E-01 neutrons/(source neutron⋅cm2) • 7.228E-02 atoms/(source neutron⋅cm3)
the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).
Parameters describing radiation damage of the material caused by scattering interactions

• Material resistance to the high neutron load, which causes radiation The nuclear parameters were calculated by MCNP tally multiplier
Parameter Evaluated value at the fluency Φ
cards according to the following expressions:
damage process is one of the crucial problems of advanced materials for Number of primary knock-on atoms (1/cm3) 1.028E-01⋅Φ
Displacement rate (disp/cm3) 2.817E+03⋅Φ Average number of primary knock-on atoms PKA:
nuclear technologies. E SN
Displacement per atom (dpa) 3.700E-20⋅Φ PKA = N ∫ Φ ( E )σ S ( E )dE (1/cm3)
Displacement per source neutron (disp/sn) 1977 Ed

• The long term development towards the fusion reactors (DEMO and N - atomic density
Displacement rate Rd:
∞
PROTOTYPE) aims for materials which can withstand high neutron wall Φ (E) - neutron fluency Rd = N ∫ Φ( E )σ d ( E ) dE (disp/cm3)
σs(E) - scattering cross-section
loading, heat fluxes and coolant pressure at temperature attractive for σd(E) - displacement cross-section
0

Displacement per atom DPA:

efficient thermodynamic working cycle. ESN - energy of source neutron
∞
Ed - minimal neutron energy necessary to displace DPA = ∫ Φ( E )σ d ( E ) dE (dpa)
the atom from its lattice position 0

• The material should be compatible with high neutron fluencies to limit a

Particle production Total photon production
necessary replacement of the in vessel components to minimum and
Particle Total normalized production Total production at the fluency ▪ normalized per source neutron:
should be low-activation type to maintain one of the most attractive [1/(source neutron⋅⋅ cm3)] Φ (1/cm3) 2.112E-01 photons/(source neutron⋅cm3)
features of fusion. Proton 1.298E-02 1.850E-02⋅Φ ▪ at the neutron fluency Φ :
Deuterium 3.487E-04 4.970E-04⋅Φ 3.010E-01⋅Φ 1/cm3
Tritium 5.008E-06 7.138E-06⋅Φ
Energy deposition – Heating Factor
• The selection and development of Ferritic-Martensitic 9 - 12%Cr steels with 3He 2.724E-08 3.883E-08⋅Φ
▪ normalized per collision
reduced activation and radiation damage is based on excellent experience Alpha 2.453E-03 3.496E-03⋅Φ
H(E) = 4.516E-02 MeV/collision
with commercial Cr steels. ▪ H, D, T and He atoms create open volume defects in the material ▪ at neutron fluency Φ
▪ Yields of nuclear reactions were evaluated by multiplier tally cards H(E) = 7.655E-03⋅Φ MeV/cm3

• The material is also one of the most interesting materials for advanced according to the formula:
∞
MCNP code provides only saturated values of calculated nuclear
fission reactor types. Ri = N ∫ Φ ( E )σ i ( E ) dE (1/cm3) reactions, and does not consider directly the changes in isotopic
0 composition of the material under the neutron irradiation and
recombination/relaxation effects, too.
• Calculation by MCNP code provide useful information about the neutron
Yields of the nuclear reactions on Fe isotopes Yields of the nuclear reactions on Cr isotopes
movement in the material and about neutron induced interactions.
Target Reaction Product Number of reactions Target Reaction Product Number of reactions
isotope (1/cm3) isotope (1/cm3)
(n,2n) 53Fe
(8.51 min, EC) → 2.665E-05⋅Φ (n,2n) 49Cr
(42.3 min, EC) → 3.365E-06⋅Φ
53Mn (3.74E06 y, EC) → 53Cr stable 49V (330 d, EC) → 49Ti stable

CONCLUSION (n,n´p) 53Mn (3.74E06 y, EC) → 53Cr stable 9.965E-04 ⋅Φ (n,n´p) 49V (330 d, EC) → 49Ti stable 5.627E-05 ⋅Φ
(n,p) 54Mn (312.3 d, EC) → 54Cr stable 1.529E-03 ⋅Φ (n,p) 50V stable 8.303E-05 ⋅Φ
50Cr
54Fe (312.3 d, β-) → 54Fe stable (n,d) 49V (330 d, EC) → 49Ti stable 3.827E-06⋅Φ
(n,d) 53Mn (3.74E06 y, EC) → 53Cr stable 4.340E-05 ⋅Φ (n,t) 48V (15.9735 d, EC) → 48Ti stable 1.176E-08 ⋅Φ
• By MCNP-4C2 transport code we have observed the information about the (n,t) 52Mn (5.591 d, EC) → 52Cr stable 2.426E-07 ⋅Φ (n, α) 47Ti stable 1.461E-05 ⋅Φ
radiation damage process in form of atomic displacement, production of (n, α) 51Cr(27.7025 d, EC) → 51V stable 3.972E-04 ⋅Φ (n,γ) 51Cr (27.7025 d, EC) → 51V stable 4.314E-07 ⋅Φ
(n,γ) 55Fe (2.73 y, EC) → 55Mn stable 3.648E-06 ⋅Φ
particles which create open volume defects; yields of the nuclear reactions (n,2n) 55Fe (2.73 y, EC) → 55Mn stable 3.112E-02 ⋅Φ
(n,2n) 51Cr (27.7025 d, EC) → 51V stable
50V
1.926E-02 ⋅Φ
(n,n´p) stable 9.045E-05 ⋅Φ
and nuclear heating. (n,n´p) 55Mn stable 2.538E-03 ⋅Φ (n,p) 52V (3.743 min, β-) → 52Cr stable 6.285E-03⋅Φ
(n,p) 56Mn (2.5785 d, β -) → 56Fe stable 7.996E-03 ⋅Φ 52Cr (n,d) 51V stable 4.865E-04 ⋅Φ
(n,d) 55Mn stable 4.351E-03 ⋅Φ (n,t) 50V stable 2.903E-07 ⋅Φ
• MCNP code provides only the saturated values of calculated nuclear 56Fe
(n,t) 54Mn (312.3 d, EC) → 54Cr stable 1.855E-06 ⋅Φ (n, α) 49Ti stable 1.018E-03 ⋅Φ
parameters and does not consider recombination/relaxation effects. (312.3 d, β-) → 54Fe stable
53Cr
(n,γ) 53Cr stable 9.000E-05⋅Φ
(n, α) stable 5.120E-03 ⋅Φ 52Cr
(n,2n) stable 9.460E-04 ⋅Φ
(n,γ) 57Fe stable 6.671E-05 ⋅Φ
(n,p) 53V (1.16 min, β-) → 53Cr stable 7.261E-05⋅Φ
• The results obtained by the MCNP calculations can be helpful for (n,2n) 56Fe stable 1.383E-03 ⋅Φ
(n,d) 52V (3.743 min, β-) → 52Cr stable 5.488E-06 ⋅Φ
57Mn (85.4 53Cr
(n,p) s, β-) → 57Fe stable 9.205E-05 ⋅Φ
understanding of results from experimental techniques. (n,d) 56Fe stable 5.456E-06 ⋅Φ
(n,t) 51V stable 2.745E-07⋅Φ
57Fe (n, α) 50Ti stable 4.343E-05 ⋅Φ
(n,t) 55Mn stable 2.444E-08 ⋅Φ
(n,γ) 54Cr stable 2.152E-06 ⋅Φ
• The outcomes can be used as input data for another computation codes (n, α) 54Cr

58Fe
stable 9.157E-05 ⋅Φ
(n,2n) 53Cr stable 1.502E-04 ⋅Φ
(n,γ) stable 1.797E-04 ⋅Φ
applied in the radiation damage study. (n,p) 58Mn (3.0 s, β-) → 58Fe stable 4.855E-06 ⋅Φ
(n,p) 54V (49.8 s, β-) → 54Cr stable 2.935E-06 ⋅Φ
(n,d) 53V (1.16 min, β-) → 53Cr stable 4.035E-08 ⋅Φ
56Mn (2.5785 54Cr
58Fe (n,d) d, β-) → 56Fe stable 5.221E-10 ⋅Φ 52V
(n,t) (3.743 min, β-) → 52Cr stable 1.169E-09 ⋅Φ
(n, α) 55Cr (3.497 min, β-) → 55Mn stable 4.340E-06 ⋅Φ
(n, α) 51Ti (5.76 min, β-) → 51V stable 2.625E-06 ⋅Φ
(n,γ) 59Fe (44.503 d, β-) → 59Co stable 8.916E-08 ⋅Φ
(n,γ) 55Cr (3.497 min, β-) → 55Mn 1.468E-07 ⋅Φ
stable