Cross-sections for homogenized BWR fuel elements in 2d-diffusion theory by 1d-transport calculations

Leakage has a large influence on the thermal spectrum in a fuel rod cell of a BWR and originates: a) from rods with different absorptions and; b) from the different distances to the water gaps. Due to reason a) Gd-rods are treated together with a ring of the homogenized eight nearest neighbours. The often used definition of homogenized cross-sections as the ratio of the integrated reaction rate to the integrated flux proved to be inadequate. This homogenization method is exact as far as the flux is constant over the boundary and as the leakag e during calculating the homogenized cross-sections is similar to that during application. With respect to the condition b) a 1d-transport calculation for the whole fuel element with rings or slabs of homogenized fuel rod cells is performed. With the definition above the flux distribution is that of the fluxes in the moderator regions. The spectrum within each fuel rod cell which includes the leakage is calculated by superimposing at each energy on the flux distribution in the cell the flux at the cell position from the bundle calculation. Changes in the flux ratio between fuel and moderator due to the leakage are taken into account in a final few group 2d-diffusion calculation with fuel and (moderator + cladding) taken separately