AGN-201K educational and research reactor benchmark analyses by McCARD Monte Carlo calculations

In this study, a benchmark model for the AGN-201K educational and research reactor was newly developed based on its Final Safety Analysis Report data, with any unclear or missing specifications obtained from different AGN-201 reactors. The AGN-201K benchmark model was verified for criticality problems at various critical rod positions, the approach-to-criticality experiment problem, the fine rod worth measurement problem, and the flux distribution problem. The model was evaluated by comparing experimental values with calculated results by the McCARD Monte Carlo neutronic transport code, with the McCARD results of the AGN-201K benchmark showing good agreement with the experimental results. The most noteworthy point is that the recently developed McCARD TDMC (Time-Dependent Monte Carlo) transient module was successfully demonstrated through AGN-201K transient benchmark analyses. It is also noted that the reactor periods from McCARD results were very similar to the experimental results, confirming the suitability of TDMC analysis for realistic applications. Furthermore, the new AGN-201K benchmark model is expected to serve as a practical and useful tool for verifying and validating newly developed neutronic codes through various steady-state and transient analyses.