Benchmarking the HENDL-3.0 data library by simulating a sodium-cooled test reactor

Highlights: • Some contents in section 1 (Introduction) have been modified. • Structure of the section 3 has been changed. • Modified the paragraph just after Fig. 6. • Modified section 3.4. • Some sentences/words have been highlighted (for reviewer#1). - Abstract: Advanced computation to deal with sophisticated nuclear systems and their process mainly relies on competent nuclear data libraries. The library could significantly alter the simulation results. In this study, the competence of a Hybrid Evaluated Nuclear Data Library, called HENDL, has been strengthened by employing it in performing calculations for integral neutron physics parameters. For this purpose, SuperMC code was used to model and simulate an SFR (Sodium-cooled fast reactor), BFS-62-3A – the critical experiment performed at BFS2 facility in Russia. The critical assembly in its full heterogeneous configuration containing four fuel-zones was modeled. The calculations were performed to estimate the criticality, reactivity effects, spectral indices and fission rates in radial direction. The sensitivity study was also carried out to see the influence of any change by the experimental uncertainties in the material data described in the critical experiment. The accuracy and trustworthiness being the vital properties that any neutron data library should possess were thus testified and proved thereafter for the aforementioned fast spectrum advanced reactor. The results so obtained were in good agreement with the experiment and the study hence enabled the HENDL library to be validated/benchmarked.