MPACT

The Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL) requires detailed power and neutron flux distribution in light water reactors throughout the operating cycle.

The 2D/1D method is used to solve the whole core transport problem using the Method of Characteristics in the radial direction and an SP3 nodal method in the axial.  ORIGEN is used to track over 500 isotopes in multiple rings inside each fuel pin in the core.

Traditional reactor models rely on cross-sections that are prepared a priori based on assumed conditions and pin power reconstruction for detailed solutions.  The methods in MPACT capture these effects dynamically based on actual conditions.

ORNL collaborates with the University of Michigan on this project.