Computational Method for Global Sensitivity Analysis of Reactor Neutronic Parameters

The variance-based global sensitivity analysis technique is robust, has a wide range of applicability, and provides accurate sensitivity information for most models. However, it requires input variables to be statistically independent. A modification to this technique that allows one to deal with in...

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Main Authors: Bolade A. Adetula, Pavel M. Bokov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/109614
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author Bolade A. Adetula
Pavel M. Bokov
author_facet Bolade A. Adetula
Pavel M. Bokov
author_sort Bolade A. Adetula
collection DOAJ
description The variance-based global sensitivity analysis technique is robust, has a wide range of applicability, and provides accurate sensitivity information for most models. However, it requires input variables to be statistically independent. A modification to this technique that allows one to deal with input variables that are blockwise correlated and normally distributed is presented. The focus of this study is the application of the modified global sensitivity analysis technique to calculations of reactor parameters that are dependent on groupwise neutron cross-sections. The main effort in this work is in establishing a method for a practical numerical calculation of the global sensitivity indices. The implementation of the method involves the calculation of multidimensional integrals, which can be prohibitively expensive to compute. Numerical techniques specifically suited to the evaluation of multidimensional integrals, namely, Monte Carlo and sparse grids methods, are used, and their efficiency is compared. The method is illustrated and tested on a two-group cross-section dependent problem. In all the cases considered, the results obtained with sparse grids achieved much better accuracy while using a significantly smaller number of samples. This aspect is addressed in a ministudy, and a preliminary explanation of the results obtained is given.
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spelling doaj-art-2f1b8cfbe1604177965628d63202de132025-02-03T01:26:12ZengWileyScience and Technology of Nuclear Installations1687-60751687-60832012-01-01201210.1155/2012/109614109614Computational Method for Global Sensitivity Analysis of Reactor Neutronic ParametersBolade A. Adetula0Pavel M. Bokov1Research and Development Division, The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), Building 1900, P.O. Box 582, Pretoria 0001, South AfricaResearch and Development Division, The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), Building 1900, P.O. Box 582, Pretoria 0001, South AfricaThe variance-based global sensitivity analysis technique is robust, has a wide range of applicability, and provides accurate sensitivity information for most models. However, it requires input variables to be statistically independent. A modification to this technique that allows one to deal with input variables that are blockwise correlated and normally distributed is presented. The focus of this study is the application of the modified global sensitivity analysis technique to calculations of reactor parameters that are dependent on groupwise neutron cross-sections. The main effort in this work is in establishing a method for a practical numerical calculation of the global sensitivity indices. The implementation of the method involves the calculation of multidimensional integrals, which can be prohibitively expensive to compute. Numerical techniques specifically suited to the evaluation of multidimensional integrals, namely, Monte Carlo and sparse grids methods, are used, and their efficiency is compared. The method is illustrated and tested on a two-group cross-section dependent problem. In all the cases considered, the results obtained with sparse grids achieved much better accuracy while using a significantly smaller number of samples. This aspect is addressed in a ministudy, and a preliminary explanation of the results obtained is given.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/109614
spellingShingle Bolade A. Adetula
Pavel M. Bokov
Computational Method for Global Sensitivity Analysis of Reactor Neutronic Parameters
Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations
title Computational Method for Global Sensitivity Analysis of Reactor Neutronic Parameters
title_full Computational Method for Global Sensitivity Analysis of Reactor Neutronic Parameters
title_fullStr Computational Method for Global Sensitivity Analysis of Reactor Neutronic Parameters
title_full_unstemmed Computational Method for Global Sensitivity Analysis of Reactor Neutronic Parameters
title_short Computational Method for Global Sensitivity Analysis of Reactor Neutronic Parameters
title_sort computational method for global sensitivity analysis of reactor neutronic parameters
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/109614
work_keys_str_mv AT boladeaadetula computationalmethodforglobalsensitivityanalysisofreactorneutronicparameters
AT pavelmbokov computationalmethodforglobalsensitivityanalysisofreactorneutronicparameters