Neutron leakage treatment in reactor physics. Consequences for predicting core characteristics

New generations of simulation tools responding to the challenges brought by the advanced features of both 3^rd+ generation Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) cores and 4^th generation sodium fast neutron reactor (SFR) cores are taking shape. The developments of new simulations tools are also motivated by strict requirements of nuclear safety authorities. The new tools have the objective of setting new reference standards for neutronic prediction and will take advantage of innovative algorithms which have been implemented in existing CEA codes, such as ERANOS (fast reactors) and APOLLO2 (PWR); the new codes should at the same time remove remaining calculation errors. Although innovative algorithms have been filling the gaps which did exist 40 years ago between tools specifically dedicated to either thermal neutron cores or fast neutron ones, there remains a series of algorithms which deserve particular attention: the treatment of leakage in cell calculations. This paper describes methods for treating neutron leakage in self-shielding calculations with the sub-group method, and in the cell balance calculation. Applications of the MOC method of solution to treat neutron leakage are described. The application of the MOC can eliminate approximations at the cell interfaces while maintaining precise neutron leakage treatment. The new APOLLO3^® code, presently under development at CEA, is candidate for hosting such algorithms. (author)