Feasibility studies of an experimental campaign in TAPIRO devoted to the analysis of nuclear database for minor actinides

In the frame of the NEA Expert Group on Integral Experiments for Minor Actinide Management a joint collaboration between ENEA and CEA was established with the aim to study the feasibility of a MAs irradiation campaign in the TAPIRO fast neutron source research reactor, located at the ENEA Casaccia center near Rome. In particular, during the 80’s, in the frame of an agreement between ENEA and SCK/CEN Mol (Belgium), an extensive experimental neutronic characterization of the TAPIRO source reactor was carried-out. The present work describes the simulation of the TAPIRO reactor and the experimental campaign using Monte Carlo and deterministic methods. Some computational results of the model are compared and discussed, using different cross section data libraries. Due to the relevant contribution of copper to the neutronics of this system, the effects of its properties are also preliminarily analyzed. Finally, to complement the preliminary analyses on the irradiation in TAPIRO of some CEA samples, additional evaluations about the reactivity associated with the insertion of some OSMOSE and IRMM samples into different TAPIRO channels are provided.