PWR-UO2 nuclear fuel criticality study: control rod effects on infinite neutron multiplication factor and spent fuel composition

Abstract Deterministic and stochastic nuclear codes are software packages used to perform reactor physics calculations, especially in PWRs, the most common type of nuclear reactor currently in operation. The NEA Expert Group on Burn-up Credit Criticality Safety has published a Benchmark with results obtained from simulations of PWR-UO 2 nuclear fuel. The same simulations were performed at DEN/UFMG with SCALE 6.0, a modular nuclear system code developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory using two different neutron energy libraries (238 and 44 groups). The results obtained using a three-dimensional model with the T6-DEPL sequence of the TRITON module in SCALE 6.0 for spent fuel inventory and infinite neutron multiplication factor calculations show very good agreement with those published by the OECD. The main goal of this work is to validate the methodology at DEN/UFMG for future use in simulations related to Angra I, II and III Nuclear Power Plants.