Validation of Light Water Reactor Calculation Methods and JEF-1—Based Data Libraries by TRX and BAPL Critical Experiments

The capability of various code systems and JEF-1—based nuclear data libraries to compute light water reactor lattices is analyzed by comparing calculations with results from thermal reactor benchmark experiments TRX and BAPL and with previously published values. With the JEF-1 evaluation, eigenvalues are generally well predicted within 8 mk (1 mk = 0.001) or less by all code systems, and all methods give reasonable results for the measured reaction rate ratios within, or not too far from, the experimental uncertainty.