Validation of the Batan-3DIFF Code against Fission Chamber Measurements for In-Core Thermal Neutron Flux in the RSG-GAS Reactor
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55981.tdm.2025.13550Keywords:
Thermal neutron flux, Batan-3DIFF, Fission chamber, RSG-GAS reactorAbstract
The accurate determination of neutron flux distribution is essential for reactor physics analysis and supports various applications, including material irradiation and radioisotope production. This study presents a comparative analysis of the axial thermal neutron flux distribution, evaluating results from the deterministic diffusion code Batan-3DIFF against experimental measurements obtained using a fission chamber detector. Measurements were performed at three irradiation positions—D-7, E-7, and G-7—within the RSG-GAS reactor core. At position D-7, the Batan-3DIFF calculation yielded a maximum thermal neutron flux of approximately, while the fission chamber measurement recorded a slightly lower value of, corresponding to a relative deviation of 6.0%. Similar levels of discrepancy were observed at positions E-7 (6.7%) and G-7 (6.8%), with the computational results consistently overestimating the measured flux. These systematic deviations are primarily attributed to the geometric and material homogenization approximations inherent in the diffusion model, as well as differences in the neutron energy response of the fission chamber compared to the modeled spectrum. Despite these minor discrepancies, the overall agreement between the calculated and experimental flux profiles confirms that Batan-3DIFF is capable of reliably representing axial neutron flux distributions in the RSG-GAS reactor.
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