BURNUP SIMULATION RESULTS FROM UPGRADED MCBURN AND COMPARISON

WITH OTHER CODES

Debasmit Sarkar1, K. K. Gupta2 and K. P. Singh

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India
e-mail: - 1debasmit@barc.gov.in, 2kkgupta@barc.gov.in

Abstract
Depletion code McBurn has been upgraded with the intent of large-scale deployment for practical
purposes. The upgraded McBurn has been validated with different standard problems and
international benchmarks. In this paper, McBurn results for NEA computational benchmark problem
for VVER-1000 LEU Assembly is presented. Also, McBurn results for PHWR 37 pin bundle is
compared with CP method based lattice code ITRAN. Infinite multiplication factor, concentration of
important isotopes and power distribution estimated by McBurn are found to be in good agreement
with the benchmark specified results as well as ITRAN estimated results.

1. Introduction
McBurn [1] is a depletion code which solves Bateman equations for a nuclear reactor fuel system. It
is coupled with a Continuous Energy Monte Carlo (CEMC) particle transport code which simulates
the transport of neutrons through the given system and estimates various nuclear reaction rates.
From these known reaction rates and concentration of isotopes, McBurn estimates the new
concentration of isotopes after a given burnup. It also prepares a new input for CEMC code with
updated concentration of isotopes. This completes calculation of one burnup step of appropriate size
and can be repeated any number of times for complete calculation for any given amount of fuel
burnup. Flow chart of a burnup calculation using McBurn is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Flowchart of burnup calculation using McBurn.

35
McBurn was originally developed at Theoretical Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre,
Mumbai [1]. Coupled with CEMC transport code, it is a useful tool for performing burnup
calculations for reactors where applicability of traditional deterministic neutron transport codes is
limited. For calculations presented in this paper ENDF/B-6.8 nuclear data is used for CEMC based
neutron transport code, while burnup library associated with McBurn consisting of Decay and
Fission yield data are based on evaluations in Ref. [2].

2. Improvements in McBurn
McBurn has been recently upgraded with intent of large-scale deployment for practical purposes.
Some of the major highlights of modifications made in the code are listed below:

• Modules responsible for reading the CEMC output have been modified with efficient
algorithms.
• Bateman equations for different burnup zones are not coupled to each other. Hence they are
solved simultaneously on different processors in parallel computing architecture. For inter-
processor communication, MPICh-2.0 is used.
• Search algorithms of ~ O(N) has been replaced with that of ~ O(1) using a pointer based
indexing technique.
• For identification and proper treatment of a nuclide at different temperatures, CEMC input
format associates three characters (extension) along with ZAID of the nuclide. Provision has
been included also in McBurn to consider these isotopes with different extensions separately
during burnup.

Implementation of above features and modifications have significantly reduced the running time of
McBurn and have enhanced its capability of handling practical problems. In subsequent sections,
validation of McBurn against benchmarks and conventional codes are discussed.

3. VVER-1000 Assembly lattice Benchmark

VVER-1000 Assembly hot condition benchmark [3] was employed to validate the code McBurn. The
benchmark problem assembly consists of 300
LEU pins of 3.7%eU, 12 IFBA pins of 3.6%eU
1.150 MCU
and 4% Gd2O3. Light water containing 0.6g/kg TVS_M
of boron is used as moderator. WIMS8A
1.100 HELIOS
This problem was solved using McBurn and MULTICELL
results were compared with benchmark values McBurn
1.050
given in Ref [3]. In Figure 2 a comparative plot
K-inf

of k-inf estimated by McBurn along with 1.000

benchmark specified results are given. Standard
deviation in all k-inf values estimated by CEMC 0.950
code is ~10-4. In Figure 3, isotopic
concentrations of few major isotopes with 0.900
burnup estimated by McBurn and benchmark 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
values are plotted. All estimates from McBurn Burnup (GWd/TeU)
are well within the variance of benchmark Figure 2 Comparison of k-inf estimated by McBurn
specified results. Detailed analysis of the with VVER-1000 assembly benchmark values
benchmark problem using McBurn can be found in

36
Ref [4].

Figure 3 Comparison of assembly averaged inventory of major isotopes by various codes for VVER-
1000 assembly

4. PHWR 37 pin bundle fuel lattice

Burnup of PHWR 37 pin bundle fuel 1.150
lattice [6] consisting of 37 fuel pins was
simulated in cold condition using McBurn
and results were compared with code 1.100 McBurn
ITRAN
ITRAN [5]. ITRAN is a CP method based
deterministic lattice burnup code, widely
1.050
used for PHWR operations. ENDF/B-6
K-inf

nuclear data library in WIMS 69 energy

group format was used to generate results 1.000
using ITRAN for comparative studies
reported here. In Figure 4 k-inf with
burnup estimated by the two codes are 0.950
plotted. Standard deviation in all k-inf
0 2 4 6 8 10
values estimated by CEMC calculations is
Burnup (GWd/TeU)
~ 10-5. At high burnup of ~11GWd/TeU,
McBurn over estimates k-inf by ~0.3%. Figure 4 Comparison of k-inf estimated by McBurn with
ITRAN for PHWR bundle
37
Ring power factor at the same burnup is shown in Figure 5. The max difference in ring power factor
estimated by the two codes is less than 1.5%. Inventory of some important isotopes estimated by the
two codes were compared and results are shown in Table 1. It can be seen that differences between
McBurn results and that of ITRAN are within acceptable range.

Table 1 Inventory of isotopes estimated by

McBurn at ~11 GWd/TeU relative to ITRAN

Isotope % Difference
Xe135 0.53
Rh105 -2.9
U235 -0.5
U238 0.5
Pu239 1.6
Pu240 -1.1
Pu241 -1.1
Pu242 -2.7
Figure 5 Ring power factor at ~11GWd/TeU
Comparison of McBurn results with other well established codes for few other fuel pins and reactor
lattices are given in Ref. [6].

5. Conclusion
In this report a brief description of code McBurn and major highlights of modifications done in the
code is given. VVER-1000 assembly NEA benchmark is employed to validate the code McBurn.
Burnup of PHWR 37 pin bundle fuel lattice is simulated using McBurn and results are compared with
code ITRAN. Integral and differential lattice parameters estimated by McBurn was found to be in
satisfactory agreement with other codes. This report establishes the validity of the code McBurn.

6. References

[1] B. Ghosh and S. B. Degweker, “Physics of Accelerator Driven Sub-critical Systems &
Development of a Monte Carlo Burnup Code McBurn”, ARP-S2-IT-04.
[2] T. R. England and B. F. Rider, “Evaluation and Compilation of Fission Product Yields”, LA-
UR-94-3106, October 1994.
[3] OECD/NEA, “A VVER-1000 LEU and MOX Assembly Computational Benchmark”, ISBN-
92-64-18491-0.
[4] Debasmit Sarkar and K. P. Singh, “Validation of McBurn using VVER-1000 LEU Assembly
benchmark problem”, Technical Report No. : RPDD/RP/31, December 06, 2021
[5] P. D. Krishnani, “Input Preparation of the computer code ITRAN”, Note No. RPDD/ RP/11,
June 23, 2006.
[6] Kapil K. Gupta, Debasmit Sarkar and K.P. Singh, “Burnup simulation results from McBurn
and comparison with other codes”, Technical Report no. RPDD/GEN/56, March 21, 2022.

38