Jurnal Pengembangan Energi Nuklir Vol. 22, No. 2, (2020) 129-136
129
Jurnal Pengembangan Energi Nuklir
Laman Jurnal: jurnal.batan.go.id/index.php/jpen
Criticality Analysis of HTR-10 using an Open Source Monte
Carlo code OpenMC
Ikhsan Mahfudin*
1
, Topan Setiadipura
2
1
Polytechnic Institute of Nuclear Technology, Jl. Babarsari, Kotak Pos 6101 YKBB Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2
Center for Nuclear Reactor Technology and Safety, Gedung No.80, Kawasan Puspiptek Tangerang Selatan, Indonesia
ARTICLE INFORMATION ABSTRACT
Article History:
Submitted:
20 November 2020
Received in revised:
23 December 2020
Approved:
25 December 2020
Criticality Analysis of HTR-10 using an Open Source Monte Carlo Code OpenMC. As one of
the advanced nuclear reactor designs, the capability to model and analyze the pebble bed reactor
is essential. The availability and capability of an accurate open source and open access software
for pebble bed reactor analysis are strategic. It can broaden the involvement of more institutions,
including universities, which finally may improve the research and development in this field. The
current study aims to develop the pebble bed core model and perform a criticality study of the
HTR-10 core design. This study exploits OpenMC software's capability to model a double
heterogeneity geometry using a TRISO Pack Model Building based on random sequential packing
and closed random packing. Physical parametric surveys of the developed model show expected
results in which the model can reflect the negative reactivity feedback of the HTR-10 design. The
critical height of the HTR-10 model with Helium from the current model, VSOP, and MCNP are
125.881 cm, 125.804 cm, 126.116 cm, respectively. A code-to-code criticality analysis comparing
the current model with VSOP and MCNP code reported by INET shows a good comparison. It
suggests that the present method can be used for further pebble bed analysis.
ABSTRAK
Analisis kritikalitas HTR-10 Menggunakan Software Monte Carlo Open Source OpenMC.
Sebagai salah satu desain reaktor nuklir maju, kemampuan untuk melakukan pemodelan dan
analisis terhadap reaktor pebble bed adalah hal yang penting. Ketersediaan dan kemampuan dari
sebuah software yang akurat, open source dan open access untuk analisis reaktor pebble bed
sangatlah strategis. Hal ini dapat memperluas keterlibatan institusi, termasuk universitas, yang
pada akhirnya akan meningkatkan penelitian dan pengembangan di bidang ini. Tujuan dari studi
ini adalah untuk mengembangkan model teras pebble bed dan melakukan analisi kritikalitas
desain HTR-10. Studi ini memanfaatkan kemampuan dalam software OpenMC untuk
memodelkan geometri heterogenitas ganda menggunakan modul TRISO Pack Model Buiding
berbasis random sequential packing dan closed random packing. Survey parameter fisis terhadap
model yang dikembangkan dalam studi ini menunjukkan hasil yang diinginkan dimana model
tersebut dapat menunjukkan fitur umpan balik negative dari reaktivitas terhadap termperatur yang
merupakan fitur HTR-10. Ketinggian kritis dari model HTR-10 dengan helium dari model openMC,
VSOP, dan MCNP adalah 125.881 cm, 125.804 cm, dan 126.116 cm, secara berurutan.
Perbandingan antar software untuk analisis kritikalitas ini menunjukkan hasil yang baik dan bahwa
model openMC yang dikembangkan dalam studi ini dapat digunakan untuk analisis pebble bed
selanjutnya.
Kata kunci: Heterogenitas Ganda, Reaktor Pebble Bed, Analisis Kritikalitas, Metode Monte Carlo,
OpenMC, HTR-10
Keywords:
Double heterogeneity
Pebble bed reactor
Criticality analysis
Monte Carlo
openMC
© 2020 Jurnal Pengembangan Energi Nuklir. All rights reserved
1. INTRODUCTION
As one of the advanced nuclear reactor
designs, with a unique random geometrical
composition, the capability to model and
analyze pebble-bed high-temperature reactor
core is important. In addition, as a moving fuel
core, detailed modeling, and method to
accommodate fuel movement in the core will be
needed in further equilibrium and safety
analysis. Currently, there are fourteen high-
temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGR)
designs as reported by IAEA, in which half of it
is pebble bed reactor (PBR) type, being
developed in the world [1]. PBR design is
usually chosen due to its strong passive safety
feature, its cogeneration potential, and its
capability to be optimized as a small modular
reactor [2]. For that reason, as part of the
national development program [3], a PBR
design development called Reaktor Daya
* Penulis korespondensi.
E-mail: ikhsanmahfudin@gmail.com