Recent neutronics developments for reactor safety studies with SIMMER code at KIT

The SIMMER family of codes is applied for safety studies of sodium fast reactors and reactors of other types. Both neutronics and fluid-dynamics parts of SIMMER are under development. In the paper new neutronics capabilities are presented. In particular developments for neutron transport solvers and a new technique for taking into account thermal expansion effects are described. These new capabilities facilitate 3D simulations and improve accuracy of modelling for the initiation transient phase during a hypothetical severe accident. (paper)