Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
2004 International RERTR Meeting

MONTE CARLO NEUTRON TRANSPORT SIMULATION OF THE GHANA RESEARCH REACTOR-1

S. Anim-Sampong, B.T. Maakuu, E.H.K. Akaho
Department of Nuclear Engineering & Materials Science
National Nuclear Research Institute
Ghana Atomic Energy Commission
P.O. Box LG 80, Legon, Accra, Ghana

ABSTRACT
 

Stochastic Monte Carlo neutron particle transport methods have been applied to successfully model in 3-D, the HEU-fueled Ghana Research Reactor-1 (GHARR-1), a commercial version of the Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR) using the MCNP version 4c3 particle transport code. The preliminary multigroup neutronic criticality calculations yielded a keff=1.00449 with a corresponding cold clean excess reactivity of 4.47mk (447pcm) compared with experimental values of keff=1.00402 and excess reactivity of 4.00mk (400pcm). The Monte Carlo simulations also show comparable results in the neutron fluxes in the HEU core and some regions of interest. The observed trends in the radial and axial flux distributions in the core, beryllium annular reflector and the water region in the top shim reflector tray were reproduced, indicating consistency of the results, accuracy of the model, precision of the MCNP transport code and the comparability of the Monte Carlo simulations. The results further illustrate the close agreement between stochastic transport theory and the experimental measurements conducted during off-site zero power cold tests.

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