Computer Programs
PSR-0455 MONTEBURNS 2.0.
last modified: 17-SEP-2007 | catalog | categories | new | search |

PSR-0455 MONTEBURNS 2.0.

MONTEBURNS 2.0, An Automated, Multi-Step Monte Carlo Burnup Code System

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1. NAME OR DESIGNATION OF PROGRAM

MONTEBURNS 2.0.

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2. COMPUTERS

To submit a request, click below on the link of the version you wish to order. Rules for end-users are available here.

Program name Package id Status Status date
MONTEBURNS 2.0 PSR-0455/03 Arrived 17-SEP-2007

Machines used:

Package ID Orig. computer Test computer
PSR-0455/03 HP W.S.,SUN W.S.,PC Windows
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3. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM OR FUNCTION

MONTEBURNS Version 2 calculates coupled neutronic/isotopic results for nuclear systems and produces a large number of criticality and burnup results based on various material feed/removal specifications, power(s), and time intervals. MONTEBURNS is a fully automated tool that links the LANL MCNP Monte Carlo transport code with a radioactive decay and burnup code. Highlights on changes to Version 2 are listed in the transmittal letter. Along with other minor improvements in MONTEBURNS Version 2, the option was added to use CINDER90 instead of ORIGEN2 as the depletion/decay part of the system. CINDER90 is a multi-group depletion code developed at LANL and is not currently available from RSICC, nor from the NEA Databank. This MONTEBURNS release was tested with various combinations of CCC-715/MCNPX 2.4.0, CCC-710/MCNP5, CCC-700/MCNP4C, CCC-371/ORIGEN2.2, ORIGEN2.1 and CINDER90. Perl is required software and is not included in this distribution. MCNP, ORIGEN2, and CINDER90 are not included.

 

The following changes have been made:

 

  1. An increase in the number of removal group information that must be provided for each material in each step in the feed input file.

  2. The capability to use CINDER90 instead of ORIGEN2.1 as the depletion/decay part of the code.

  3. ORIGEN2.2 can also be used instead of ORIGEN2.1 in Monteburns.

  4. The correction of including the capture cross sections to metastable as well as ground states if applicable for an isotope (i.e. Am-241 and Am-243 in particular).

  5. The ability to use a MCNP input file that has a title card starting with 'm' (this was a bug in the first version of Monteburns).

  6. A decrease in run time for cases involving decay-only steps (power of 0.0). Monteburns does not run MCNP to calculate cross sections for a step unless it is an irradiation step.

  7. The ability to change the cross section libraries used each step. If different cross section libraries are desired for multiple steps.

  8. Minor corrections to the output file.

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4. METHODS

MONTEBURNS processes input from the user that specifies the system geometry, initial material compositions, feed/removal specifications, and other code-specific parameters. Various results from MCNP, ORIGEN2, and other calculations are then output successively as the code runs. The principle function of MONTEBURNS is to transfer one-group cross-section and flux values from MCNP to ORIGEN2, and then transfer the resulting material compositions (after irradiation and/or decay) from ORIGEN2 back to MCNP in a repeated, cyclic fashion (a simple predictor-corrector method is used during this process).

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5. RESTRICTIONS ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROBLEM

The basic requirement of the code is that the user have working versions of PERL, MCNP, and either CINDER90, ORIGEN2.1, or ORIGEN2.2. The code is fairly versatile and allows any number of irradiation (burn steps) to occur, up to 49 materials to be irradiated, and material to be added or removed at each step. More detailed information about limitation is in Section 8.0 of the MONTEBURNS User's Manual (LA-UR-99-4999).

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6. TYPICAL RUNNING TIME

The run time for MONTEBURNS highly depends on the complexity and run time associated with the MCNP input file and the number of burn steps desired. MCNP is typically run once for each burn step. The minimum run time should be a bit longer than the amount of time it takes to run MCNP for the specific input deck specified multiplied by the number of burn steps (however, this may be increased by certain input parameters). Each of the 5 test cases may take up to 1-2 hours each on a Sun Ultra 60.

 

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8. RELATED OR AUXILIARY PROGRAMS

MCNP, MCNPX, ORIGEN, CINDER-90.

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9. STATUS
Package ID Status date Status
PSR-0455/03 17-SEP-2007 Masterfiled Arrived
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10. REFERENCES
PSR-0455/03, included references:
- H. R. Trellue:
Transmittal letter to RSICC (September 12, 2002)
- D. L. Poston, and H. R. Trellue:
User's Manual, Version 2.0 for MONTEBURNS  Version 1.0, LA-UR-99-4999
(September 1999)
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11. HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

At the RSICC, the code has been successfully implemented on a Sun Solaris SparcStation, HP workstation, and a Windows NT system. Further, it was designed to work on any PC or UNIX machine, and possibly even a VMS system (although this has not yet been fully tested and may require modifications).

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12. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE(S) USED
Package ID Computer language
PSR-0455/03 FORTRAN-77, PERL
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13. SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

The main part of the code was written in Fortran 77; but the interface between MCNP, ORIGEN2, and monteb was written in Perl. It has been thoroughly tested on Sun Solaris and HP Unix workstations and on personal computers running Windows2000. A PC executable compiled with Digital Developer Studio Version 6.0 (Update A) under Windows 2000 is included. The system would require modifications to run on Windows95 or 98.

 

No non-standard options are necessary other than a platform that has a working version of MCNP and ORIGEN2.1. MCNP and ORIGEN are available from RSICC but are not included in the MONTEBURNS package. Perl is not included but can be downloaded; see http://www.perl.com. At RSICC, this release was tested on a Pentium IV running Windows 2000 and on an AMD Athlon MP 2000 PC running RedHat Linux 7 with The Portland Group compiler.

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15. NAME AND ESTABLISHMENT OF AUTHORS

Contributed by:
                Radiation Safety Information Computational Center
                Oak Ridge National Laboratory
                Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U. S. A.

 

Developed by:   Los Alamos National Laboratory,
                Los Alamos, New Mexico, U.S.A.

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16. MATERIAL AVAILABLE
PSR-0455/03
Fortran source
PC executable
Perl script
test cases
electronic documentation
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17. CATEGORIES
  • D. Depletion, Fuel Management, Cost Analysis, and Power Plant Economics

Keywords: Monte Carlo method, burnup, neutron.