Development and validation of a model TRIGA Mark III reactor with code MCNP5

The main purpose of this paper is to obtain a model of the reactor core TRIGA Mark III that accurately represents the real operating conditions to 1 M Wth, using the Monte Carlo code MCNP5. To provide a more detailed analysis, different models of the reactor core were realized by simulating the control rods extracted and inserted in conditions in cold (293 K) also including an analysis for shutdown margin, so that satisfied the Operation Technical Specifications. The position they must have the control rods to reach a power equal to 1 M Wth, were obtained from practice entitled Operation in Manual Mode performed at Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ). Later, the behavior of the K_eff was analyzed considering different temperatures in the fuel elements, achieving calculate subsequently the values that best represent the actual reactor operation. Finally, the calculations in the developed model for to obtain the distribution of average flow of thermal, epithermal and fast neutrons in the six new experimental facilities are presented. (Author)