Benchmark description of a stylized three-dimensional European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) problem

Highlights: •Description of a 3D benchmark problem based on the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR). •A stylized whole-core model was developed in MCNP. •2-, 4-, 8-, and 47-group cross sections libraries were developed in HELIOS for ease of use. •8-group results are presented for three core configurations – ARO, SRI, and ARI. •Robust set of for testing accuracy of transport solution methods. -- Abstract: This paper describes a whole-core, three-dimensional, code-to-code benchmark problem based on the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) developed by AREVA NP. The core specifications were taken directly from the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the reactor core was modeled in a stylized manner while maintaining full heterogeneity at the pin and assembly level. Three different fresh core control rod configurations are presented in this paper – All Rods Out (ARO), Some Rods In (SRI), and All Rods In (ARI). Detailed Monte Carlo results are presented and include core eigenvalues, pin fission densities, and assembly averaged fission distributions. The benchmark results together with the provided macroscopic cross section libraries are useful for testing the numerical accuracy of transport solution methods for criticality analysis. The benchmark description includes the material atom densities and other relevant parameters for cross section studies.