ANS Joint Benchmark Committee

History

In 1999, I.K. Shumays, from the ANS Mathematics and Computation Division, suggested the ANS benchmark activities in the Reactor Physics (RPD), Mathematics and Computation (MCD) and Radiation Protection and Shielding (RP&SD) Divisions of the ANS, be gathered under one National committee. The JBC consists of an Executive Committee of 3 members from each of the 3 divisions with one member from each division serving one year as a rotating Chair every 3 years. In addition, ANS members may join as affiliate members. The purpose of the JBC is to promote all aspects of “benchmarking” of nuclear systems—from the development of benchmarks to their application, documentation and dissemination. In this age of accountability and continuous improvement, verification of computational tools and validation of data are an essential element of the nuclear enterprise—whether it be for nuclear reactor design and safety assessment or for undergraduate and graduate education. Reactor physics benchmark experiments form the foundation of our current nuclear industry providing the necessary data for current and new reactor design and shielding concepts. Computational benchmarks provide verification of deterministic and probabilistic neutron transport and diffusion calculations as well as isotopic evolution in burnup investigations and dose determinations in shielding applications. The JBC encourages the development of new experimental and computational benchmarks and the continuing discussion of their appropriate use in research and application of nuclear energy. RSICC and NEADB are hosting the Joint Benchmark Committee's recommendations for benchmarks in the areas of Reactor Physics, Shielding, and Math/Computation. This undertaking is reliant on the needs and user feedback in the community.

Charter

The Joint Benchmark Committee (JBC) shall be a joint standing committee of the Mathematics and Computations Division, the Radiation Protection and Shielding Division, and the Reactor Physics Division of the American Nuclear Society (ANS). It shall have members from all three divisions.

1. Statement of Purpose

The purpose of the JBC is to allow a sanctioned group of chosen professionals in the fields of reactor physics, shielding, and computational mathematics to combine their efforts and focus upon experimental, analytic, and computational benchmarks of interest to the three sponsoring divisions. These professionals will examine potential candidate benchmarks, lend a helping hand through working groups, and evaluate, submit, and publish the benchmarks in a form useful to the experimental and computational communities. The effort should maintain its objective through guidance from the three sponsoring divisions, working with organizations interested in the benchmark, both within and outside the U.S.

The ultimate and ongoing goal of the JBC is to provide useful, essentially complete, and accurate benchmark information within a single document, easily accessible to users interested in performing predictive computational analysis. The form of the data should promote and combine the ease of use and data acquisition, with the versatility necessary for differing types of benchmarks.

2. JBC Co-Chairs 2.1 The JBC shall have three co-chairs, one from each of the three sponsoring divisions. 2.2 The co-chair from each division is subject to reappointment each year by the chair of that division. 2.3 The chairmanship of the JBC shall revolve annually among the three co-chairs.

3. JBC Membership 3.1 The JBC shall have 12 permanent members, including the co-chairs. 3.2 Permanent membership of the JBC shall be divided equally among the three divisions. 3.3 Permanent members of the JBC from each division shall be appointed by the JBC co-chair from that division for a fixed term of 3 years. 3.4 Incumbent permanent members of the JBC can be reappointed. 3.5 Chairs of working groups actively working to develop or maintain benchmarks shall be ex officio, non-voting members of the JBC.

4. Benchmark Requirements It is advisable, due to the extensive nature of the JBC work ahead, to minimize unnecessary redundancies in collecting, checking, or evaluating each benchmark.
4.1 Benchmark Criteria
4.1.1 Benchmarks should include references to published articles and reports, if available. Other information such as logbooks and notes, as well as direct communications from the experimenters, can be cited to support development of the benchmark.
4.1.2 Measurement uncertainties and/or analytic or computational approximations employed to develop the benchmark shall be identified and should be quantified when feasible.
4.1.3 The JBC may establish additional benchmark criteria subsequent to its formation and at any appropriate time thereafter.
4.2 Designation as an official JBC benchmark requires:
4.2.1 Approval by 3/4 of the voting permanent JBC members (i.e., members who abstain or fail to vote are not counted in this determination); and
4.2.2 approval by at least half of all permanent JBC members.

5. Publication Publication of each JBC Benchmark will be done through the Radiation Safety Information Computational Center and the OECD NEA Databank. Both have previously established themselves as leaders in the areas of collecting and disseminating benchmark information. Specifics as to when and how these benchmarks are to be published shall be established by the JBC.

6. Changes to This Charter
Any change to this charter requires approval by the JBC itself and by the Executive Committee of each of the sponsoring divisions. Specifically, each change requires
6.1 Approval by 3/4 of the voting permanent JBC members (i.e., members who abstain or fail to vote are not counted in this determination);
6.2 approval by at least half of all permanent JBC members; and
6.3 approval by a voting majority of the Executive Committee of each of the three sponsoring divisions.