Validation of Actinides Nuclear Cross-Section Using Pile-Oscillation Experiments Performed at MINERVE Facility

Validation of Actinides Nuclear Cross-Section Using Pile-Oscillation Experiments Performed at MINERVE Facility

The CEA is deeply involved in a research program (Material Test Reactor and Zero Power Reactor) concerning the nuclear fuel advanced studies (actinides, plutonium), the waste management, the scientific and technical support of French PWR reactors and EPR reactor, and innovative systems. In this framework, specific neutron integral experiments have been carried out in the critical ZPR facilities of the CEA Cadarache such as MINERVE, EOLE and MASURCA. This paper deals with MINERVE Pool Reactor experiments. MINERVE is mainly devoted to neutronics studies of different reactor core types. The aim is to improve the knowledge of the integral absorption cross sections of actinides (OSMOSE program). The results show a very good accuracy of JEFF-3.1.1 files except for ²⁴¹Am(n,γ) which seems to be underestimated by about (-6± 2)% in the thermal and epithermal neutron energy range.

The CEA is deeply involved in a research program (Material Test Reactor and Zero Power Reactor) concerning the nuclear fuel advanced studies (actinides, plutonium), the waste management, the scientific and technical support of French PWR reactors and EPR reactor, and innovative systems. In this framework, specific neutron integral experiments have been carried out in the critical ZPR facilities of the CEA Cadarache such as MINERVE, EOLE and MASURCA. This paper deals with MINERVE Pool Reactor experiments. MINERVE is mainly devoted to neutronics studies of different reactor core types. The aim is to improve the knowledge of the integral absorption cross sections of actinides (OSMOSE program). The results show a very good accuracy of JEFF-3.1.1 files except for ²⁴¹Am(n,γ) which seems to be underestimated by about (-6± 2)% in the thermal and epithermal neutron energy range.