Control rod calculations for a Conrad core by the equivalent parameter method

The Equivalent Parameter Method has been used to find transport-equivalent parameters for a diffusion theory calculation on a MASURCA core from the CONRAD programme. Calculations have been carried out in six neutron energy groups for an XYZ model. keff values have been calculated for a range of control rod configurations, and reaction rates adjacent to control rod channels have also been examined. The Equivalent Parameter Method is compared with an explicit transport theory calculation and with a standard diffusion theory calculation using volume averaged cross-sections for the control channels. It is shown to compare much more favourably with the transport theory calculations than does the diffusion theory calculation