Performance Evaluation of a New Transport Operator in SCONE Monte Carlo Code

Abstract

A novel transport operator, called “HELL”, has been developed and integrated into the SCONE Monte Carlo code. This alternative approach combines two commonly used tracking methods: surface-tracking and deltatracking. The unique aspect of this operator is its flexibility, allowing users to assign these tracking methods to different geometry universes according to their specific requirements. The methodology of HELL and its implementation in SCONE is presented and detailed. The performance and efficiency of the HELL have been evaluated through its application in two different cases. The first case involved a core model featuring involute surfaces, while the second case focused on a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) application. The results demonstrated that HELL effectively eliminates the limitations typically associated with surface-tracking in complex geometries and delta-tracking in materials with localized heavy absorbers. This makes it a valuable tool in nuclear physics simulations and computations. The HELL method can significantly reduce the calculation time required for such scenarios, and can be widely applied to Monte Carlo modelling in reactor physics.