Application of EPMA Data for the Development of the Code Systems TRANSURANUS and ALEPH

In the present article, electron probe microanalysis data for Pu and Nd is being used for validating the predictions of the radial power profile in a nuclear fuel rod at an ultrahigh burn-up of 95 and 102 MWd/kgHM. As such the validation of both the new Monte Carlo burn-up code ALEPH and the simpler TUBRNP model of the fuel rod performance code TRANSURANUS has been extended. The analysis of the absolute concentrations and individual isotopes also indicates potential improvements in the predictive capabilities of the simple TUBRNP model, based on the one-group cross sections inferred from the neutron transport calculations in the ALEPH code. This is a first important step toward extending the application range of the fuel rod performance code to burn-up values projected in nuclear power rods based on current trends.