Effect of updated WIMSD libraries on neutron energy spectrum at irradiation site of Pakistan Research Reactor-1 using 3D modeling

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has recently released new WIMSD libraries based on current cross-section evaluations. Using these libraries the effect of different evaluated data sets on effective multiplication factor and neutron energy spectrum was studied with the help of 3D reactor simulation code CITATION. Simulation methodology adopted in this work was validated by analyzing IAEA 10 MW benchmark reactor. The keff values obtained using all newly released libraries are within 0.45% to the experimental value, while the old library released in 1981 resulted in calculated value 1.05% larger than experimental. The flux spectrum obtained for standard fuel element using 3D modeling is smaller in fast energy range and higher in thermal energy range than is calculated using the 1D model for the standard cell. In the flux trap, differences of about −4% to 13% were found in thermal flux using the newly released libraries as compared to that obtained using 1981 WIMSD library. The major differences in the flux spectra between newly available libraries and the 1981 WIMSD library in thermal energy range are due to the differences in cross-sections of hydrogen bound-in-water. The use of only newly available cross-sections of hydrogen bound-in-water with 1981 WIMSD library resulted in significant improvement in value of keff as well as in the flux spectrum. Moreover the differences among new libraries in the thermal energy range are also due to these cross-sections. Difference in fission spectra from different libraries is responsible for differences of flux spectra in the fast energy range. These differences in flux are reduced significantly in the fast energy range by only replacement of fission spectra.