The International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) Handbook contains criticality safety benchmark specifications that have been derived from experiments that were performed at various critical facilities around the world, and thoroughly peer-reviewed by the NEA’s Technical Review Group for ICSBEP. The benchmark specifications are intended for use by criticality and safety analysts as well as nuclear data evaluators to validate calculational techniques and data.
The 2021 ICSBEP Handbook edition contains 587 evaluations with benchmark specifications for 5 121 critical, near-critical or subcritical configurations, 45 criticality alarm placement/shielding configurations with multiple dose points for each, and 237 configurations which have been categorised as fundamental physics measurements that are relevant to criticality safety applications.
This edition also includes experiments from the Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) and Thermal/Epithermal eXperiments (TEX) programs performed at the National Critical Experiments Reserach Centre (NCERC) in the United States; Highly Enriched Uranium experiments with Lucite at NCERC; pitch variation experiments at Sandia National Laboratory in the United States; and structural material experiments at Valduc facility in France.
The DICE search and analysis tool included in the Handbook provides advanced features to navigate and optimise the use of the Handbook.
The 2021 edition can be downloaded online and physical DVDs will be available in January 2023. The DVD or online access can be requested by completing the Handbook request form.
