A STATISTICAL SAMPLING METHOD FOR UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS WITH SCALE AND XSUSA

A new statistical sampling sequence called Sampler has been developed for the SCALE code system. Random values for the input multigroup cross sections are determined by using the XSUSA program to sample uncertainty data provided in the SCALE covariance library. Using these samples, Sampler computes perturbed self-shielded cross sections and propagates the perturbed nuclear data through any specified SCALE analysis sequence, including those for criticality safety, lattice physics with depletion, and shielding calculations. Statistical analysis of the output distributions provides uncertainties and correlations in the desired responses, due to nuclear data uncertainties. The Sampler/XSUSA methodology is described, and example applications are shown for criticality safety and spent-fuel analysis.