Burn-up Credit Criticality Benchmark : Phase IV-A: Reactivity Prediction Calculations for Infinite Arrays of PWR MOX Fuel Pin Cells

The OECD/NEA Expert Group on Burn-up Credit was established in 1991 to address scientific and technical issues connected with the use of burn-up credit in nuclear fuel cycle operations. Following the completion of six benchmark exercises with uranium oxide fuels irradiated in pressurised water reactors (PWRs) and boiling water reactors (BWRs), the present report concerns mixed uranium and plutonium oxide (MOX) fuels irradiated in PWRs. The report summarises and analyses the solutions to the specified exercises provided by 37 contributors from 10 countries. The exercises were based upon the calculation of infinite PWR fuel pin cell reactivity for fresh and irradiated MOX fuels with various MOX compositions, burn-ups and cooling times. In addition, several representations of the MOX fuel assembly were tested in order to check various levels of approximations commonly used in reactor physics calculations.