SCALE Criticality Safety and Radiation Shielding Course (KENO-VI and MAVRIC)

This course provides instruction on the use of the KENO-VI Monte Carlo code for criticality safety calculations and the MAVRIC (Monaco with Automated Variance Reduction using Importance Calculations) shielding sequence with 3-D automated variance reduction for deep-penetration problems.

KENO-VI is a 3D eigenvalue Monte Carlo code for criticality safety and Monaco is a 3D fixed-source Monte Carlo code for shielding analysis. Both codes use the SCALE Standard Composition Library and the SCALE Generalized Geometry Package (SGGP), which allows for versatile modeling of complex geometries and provides convenient, efficient methods for modeling repeated and nested geometry configurations such as lattices.

The MAVRIC sequence is based on the CADIS (Consistent Adjoint Driven Importance Sampling) methodology. For a given tally in a Monte Carlo calculation that the users wants to optimize, the CADIS method uses the result of an adjoint calculation from the Denovo 3D deterministic code to create both an importance map for weight windows and a biased source distribution. MAVRIC is completely automated in that from a single user input, it creates the cross sections (forward and adjoint), computes the adjoint fluxes, creates the importance map and biased source, and then executes Monaco. An extension to the CADIS method using both forward and adjoint discrete ordinates calculations (FW-CADIS) is included in MAVRIC so that multiple point tallies or mesh tallies over large areas can be optimized (calculated with roughly the same relative uncertainty).

Both KENO and Monaco use ENDF/B-VII.0 or ENDF/B-VII.1 cross-section data distributed with SCALE to perform continuous energy (CE) or multigroup (MG) calculations. Both codes can also be used with the Fulcrum consolidated SCALE user interface and KENO3D for interactive model setup, computation, output review, and 3-D visualization. Instruction is also provided on the SCALE material input and resonance self-shielding capabilities and the data visualization capabilities within Fulcrum for visualizing fluxes, reaction rates, and cross-section data as well as mesh tallies. KENO-VI and MAVRIC can be applied together to perform an integrated criticality accident alarm system (CAAS) analysis.

When: March 5 to 9, 2018
Time: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm daily (12-1 lunch break, unhosted)
Where: NC State University, Centennial Campus, Room 1025 Engineering Building II (EB2)

1. IMPORTANT choices: you can attend with or without downloading of software to your laptop. If you are going to work along then see item #3.
2. Please click here to register for the workshop.
3. Please request the software NOW through RSICC https://rsicc.ornl.gov/Registration.aspx