Data Bank E-Newsletter October 2008
Completed

OECD/NEA Data Bank e-newsletter

No. 3, October 2008

On 1 October, a questionnaire concerning the Data Bank was sent out to the delegates of participating countries (all members of the Executive Group of the Nuclear Science Committee: the Data Bank management committee). This questionnaire was prepared for the first step in the revision process of the Data Bank part of the next NEA Strategic Plan, a new six-year plan.

The Physor'08, International Conference on the Physics of Reactors, organised by PSI in collaboration with NEA, was held in Interlaken, Switzerland from 14-19 September 2008. Many NEA related works especially in relation with NSC were presented and discussed. As to the nuclear data conference track, the recent release of new versions of the major evaluated data libraries showed a significant performance improvement, nevertheless data improvements are still needed for the data of actinides particularly minor-actinide cross-sections and fission spectra. Renewed interest was also observed in covariance matrices. Many industrial applications of Nuclear Data and calculation methods in reactor physics for power plants were presented and discussed. Specific sessions were devoted to benchmark studies carried out under the aegis of OECD/NEA.


Content:

 
  1. Nuclear data and tools
  2. Processed data libraries
  3. Chemical thermodynamics data
  4. Computer programs
  5. Integral experiments data
  6. Benchmarks
  7. Training courses and workshops
  8. Conferences
  9. Other items

1. Nuclear data and tools

A Nuclear Reaction Data Centres (NRDC) meeting was held in Obninsk, Russia on 22-25 September 2008. The topic of quality control of EXFOR and CINDA, experimental and bibliographical databases, was discussed extensively. The development of user feedback pages was decided as a way of identifying EXFOR entries containing possible errors. This will be helpful for creating a new data base that only contains correct EXFOR entries, which will be a useful tool for the evaluators of nuclear data.

2. Processed data libraries

Recently acquired or tested application data libraries:

  • DLC-0220/01 ZZ HILO2K, Coupled 83 Neutron, 22 Photon Group Cross Sections for Neutron Energies Up to 2 GeV for ANISN, DORT and TORT
  • IAEA-1423/01 ZZ PADF-2007, Proton Activation Data File in ENDF-6 format

For additional information on processing nuclear data (tools, libraries, workshops) please visit our website www.oecd-nea.org/dbdata/process/.


3. Chemical thermodynamics data

 

4. Computer Programs

The most recently acquired or tested computer codes and application data libraries are:

  • CCC-0641/06 NESTLE 5.2.1, Few-Group Neutron Diffusion for Steady-State and Transient Problems by Nodal Expansion Method (NEM) (New)
  • PSR-0375/01 COGAP, Nuclear Power Plant Containment Hydrogen Control System Evaluation Code (New)
  • CCC-0627/02 RADAC, Radioactive Decay and Accumulation of Long Lived Isotopes (Updated version)
  • IAEA-1408/03 WLUP3.0, 69 and 172 Group Cross Section Libraries for WIMS (Updated version)
  • PSR-0522/01 TRUMP, Steady-State and Transient 1-D, 2-D and 3-D Potential Flow, Temperature Distribution (New)
  • IAEA-1402/04 ENDVER-ENDVER/GUI 1.42, The ENDF File Verification Support Package (Updated version)
  • NEA-1826/01 SOLTRAN, solving multi-dimensional simplified P2 transport and diffusion problems of hexagonal geometry in fast reactors (Tested)
  • NEA-1716/06 TRIPOLI-4.3.3 & 4.4, Coupled Neutron, Photon, Electron, Positron 3-D, Time Dependent Monte-Carlo, Transport Calculation (Updated version)
  • CCC-0746/01 MCNPX 2.6.0, Monte Carlo All-Particle Transport Code System including MCNPDATA and VISED Version X_22S (New)
For more details see the daily updated list at www.oecd-nea.org/tools/abstract/new.

5. Integral experiments data

Radiation shielding

  • DLC-0196/01 ZZ PR-EDB, Power Reactor Embrittlement Database
 

Reactor physics

The March 2008 edition of the International Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments (IRPHE) Project handbook is now available at www.oecd-nea.org/science/wprs/irphe/.
The next IRPhE review meeting preparing the 2009 edition of the IRPhE Handbook is scheduled for October 2008.

Criticality

The 2008 edition of the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) was released in September. You may request a DVD by accessing the ICSBEP webpsite.


6. Benchmarks

  • NEA-1827/01 GANAPOL-ABNTT, Analytical Benchmarks for Nuclear Engineering Applications, Case Studies in Neutron Transport Theory


7. Training courses and workshops

  • 29 September-3 October 2008 - Training Course on FLUKA, a fully integrated particle physics Monte Carlo simulation package. OECD/NEA Data Bank, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France. Registration closed. FLUKA 2008.3 release notes.
  • 13-17 October 2008 - Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analysis Training Course using SCALE TSUNAMI, held at KFKI Budapest, Hungary. Registration closed. Syllabus.27
  • 31 October 2008 - Joint introductory/intermediate MCNP/MCNPX training course, GRS, Garching near Munich, Germany - co-sponsored by ORNL/RSICC. Registration closed. Syllabus.
  • 18 November 2008 - Workshop on "Processing Tools for Evaluated Nuclear Data". OECD/NEA Data Bank, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France.
    For more information please visit www.oecd-nea.org/dbdata/meetings/nov2008/
  • 18-20 November 2008 - JEFF meeting. OECD/NEA Data Bank, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France.
    For more information please visit www.oecd-nea.org/dbdata/meetings/nov2008/
  • 21 November 2008 - NJOY user group meeting . OECD/NEA Data Bank, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France.
  • 2-6 March 2009 - SCALE6 Lattice Physics and Depletion Course, OECD/NEA Data Bank - co-sponsored by ORNL/RSICC, Issy les Moulineaux, France.
  • 16-20 March 2009 - Training course on "Analytical Benchmarks: Case Studies in Neutron Transport Theory" using the Handbook (including computer codes) published on "Analytical Benchmarks for Nuclear Engineering Applications (Case Studies in Neutron Transport Theory)". This course is intended for transport methods developers and those who teach reactor physics and transport theory. In addition, the course would be appropriate for anyone with an analytical interest in solving equations and the application of numerical methods to obtain extreme accuracy. Teacher: Prof. Barry D. Ganapol. Registration form.
  • 23-27 March 2009 - MCNP/MCNPX Training course, OECD NEA Data Bank - co-sponsored by ORNL/RSICC, Issy les Moulineaux, France. Registration form. Syllabus.

8. Conferences


Meetings and conferences sponsored by the Nuclear Science Committee & Data Bank

  • 3-7 May 2009 -M&C-2009, ANS Mathematics and Computation Division, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA.
    Contact: Tom Sutton
  • 7-10 June 2009 - First International Conference on Advancements in Nuclear Instrumentation, Measurement Methods and their Applications ANIMMA, Marseille, southern France.
  • 6-10 September 2009 - GLOBAL-2009: 8th Global Congress on Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Sustainable Options and Industrial Perspectives, Paris, France.
  • 9-14 May 2010 - Physor-2010 Advances in Reactor Physics to Power the Nuclear Renaissance, Sheraton Station Square Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

See also: other NEA nuclear science meetings

9. Other items


Information on joint research projects related to nuclear safety
A steam explosion experiments (STEX) database is now ready International Steam Explosion Experimental Data Base). The University of Wisconsin and the NEA Nuclear Safety Division are working together on this project.