UWFDM-1206 Validation of the ALARA Activation Code for Arbitrary Irradiation Schedules

The ALARA [Analytic and Laplacian Adaptive Radioactivity Analysis][1] activation code, previously validated for its accuracy and precision [2], has now been validated for arbitrary irradiation schedules. Based on the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] Fusion Evaluated Nuclear Data Library [FENDL] Calculational Activation Benchmark[3], eight irradiation schedules were designed, each conserving the total fluence and schedule duration of the benchmark’s pulsing problem. In addition to steady-state approximations and hybrid pulsing schemes, the test schedules included pulsing histories with varied pulse heights and increasing levels of complexity. The total calculated activities in 44 non-void zones at four short ( 1 hr) cooling times were used to compare results for the eight different irradiation histories to the exact pulsing benchmark. Overall, agreement between the exact pulsing case and the testing cases was within 1.92% at all zones and within 0.35% in most zones. The results show that ALARA is an effective computational tool for the calculation of induced activity caused by complex irradiation schedules.