Calculation of VVER MOX pin-cell benchmark with OpenMC code

Abstract

This article presents the results of the 'Weapons-Grade MOX VVER-1000 Neutronics Benchmarks' calculated with the OpenMC code. The purpose of this work was to master the OpenMC code and adapt it for VVER calculations in order to use it in the research work conducted at the department. Previously the benchmark was calculated with the SAS2H, HELIOS and MCU codes. Cases calculated with the OpenMC code consist of eight fuel variants with a specific sets of reactor conditions which represent normal and off-normal situations. The obtained infinite neutron multiplication factors are consistent with the presented in the benchmark at the level of 0.02% to 4.71%. The best consistency is observed with the HELIOS code, deviations are less than 1.6%. Despite the rather large deviations for some variants, it can be argued that the OpenMC code allows getting close to other codes results and can be used for similar calculations of VVER-1000.