Accelerated equilibrium core composition search using a new MCNP-based simulator

MocDown is a new Monte Carlo depletion and recycling simulator which couples neutron transport with MCNP and transmutation with ORIGEN. This modular approach to depletion allows for flexible operation by incorporating the accelerated progression of a complex fuel processing scheme towards equilibrium and by allowing for the online coupling of thermo-fluids feedback. MocDown also accounts for the variation of decay heat with fuel isotopics evolution. In typical cases, MocDown requires just over a day to find the equilibrium core composition for a multi-recycling fuel cycle, with a self-consistent thermo-fluids solution–a task that required between one and two weeks using previous Monte Carlo-based approaches.