Sensitivity of power spectral density techniques to numerical parameters in analyzing neutron noise experiments

The aim of this paper is to study the uncertainties in the kinetic parameters of a reactor core, obtained by PSD methods, which are associated with the numerical parameters of the method. A comprehensive estimation of the kinetic parameters, including all other uncertainties, is not pursued. In this paper, PSD methods are implemented to analyze critical and subcritical configurations of the MINERVE zero power reactor in order to measure its integral kinetic parameters βeff and Λ. Both cross and auto power spectral densities are calculated and the kinetic parameters are obtained via Lorentzian curve fitting over the calculated PSD. The sensitivity of the obtained kinetic parameters to the choice of numerical parameters used for spectrum calculations is studied and found to be significant with respect to other uncertainties. A novel methodology is proposed for analyzing the kinetic parameters' sensitivity to the PSD calculations and for quantifying the associated uncertainties.