Solution of a stylized European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) benchmark problem using the coarse mesh radiation transport method (COMET)

In this paper, as additional verification of its accuracy and efficiency, the coarse mesh radiation transport code COMET is compared to Monte Carlo solutions in a stylized benchmark problem based on the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR). The core specifications were taken directly from the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the reactor was modeled in a stylized manner while maintaining full heterogeneity at the pin and assembly level. Detailed results including assembly eigenvalues, core eigenvalues, and pin fission densities using a 2-group cross section library are presented. COMET results are in excellent agreement with MCNP with eigenvalue relative differences on the order of 10 pcm and average pin fission density relative differences on the order of 1-5%. Some maximum errors were on the order of 10% due to poor statistics on the periphery of the core in the reference results. (author)