Calculation of the power distribution in the fuel rods of the low power research reactor using the MCNP4C code

The Monte Carlo method, using the MCNP4C code, was used in this paper to calculate the power distribution in 3-D geometry in the fuel rods of the Syrian Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR). To normalize the MCNP4C result to the steady state nominal thermal power, the appropriate scaling factor was defined to calculate the power distribution precisely. The maximum power of the individual rod was found in the fuel ring number 2 and was found to be 105 W. The minimum power was found in the fuel ring number 9 and was 79.9 W. The total power in the total fuel rods was 30.9 kW. This result agrees very well with nominal power reported in the reactor safety analysis report which equals 30 kW. Finally, the peak power factors, which are defined as the ratios between the maximum to the average and the maximum to the minimum powers were calculated to be 1.18 and 1.31 respectively.

► The MCNP4C code was used to calculate the power distribution in 3-D geometry in the MNSR reactor.
► The maximum power of the individual rod was found in the fuel ring number 2 and was found to be 105 W.
► The minimum power was found in the fuel ring number 9 and was 79.9 W.
► The total power in the total fuel rods was 30.9 kW.