MCNP prediction of measured subcritical reactor parameters

Abstract

At the University of Cincinnati Nuclear Engineering Program, the resurrection of a once moth-balled subcritical reactor facility now provides an ideal laboratory experience to its students. Its simplicity and accessibility are among its key features. This article focuses upon supplementing the experimental aspects of this facility via the development of a three-dimensional, full detail, MCNP model of this reactor, while emphasizing the validation of this computational tool against laboratory measurements. The subcritical reactor parameters herein compared include: neutron and photon flux distributions, fission rate, and the subcritical multiplication factor (k-effective), among other relevant parameters of interest