Neutron noise calculations in hexagonal geometry and comparison with analytical solutions
Journal article, 2013

This paper presents the development of a neutronic and kinetic solver for neutron noise calculations in hexagonal geometries. The tool is developed based on diffusion theory with multienergy groups and several groups of delayed neutron precursors allowing the solutions of forward and adjoint problems of static and dynamic states. The tool is applicable to both thermal and fast systems with hexagonal geometries. In the dynamic problems, the small stationary fluctuations of macroscopic cross sections are considered as noise sources, then the induced first-order noise is solved fully in the frequency domain. Numerical algorithms for solving the static and noise equations are implemented using finite differences for spatial discretization and a power iterative solution. A coarse-mesh finite difference technique for accelerating the convergence has been adopted. Verification calculations have been performed and compared to analytical solutions based on a two-dimensional homogeneous system with two energy groups and one group of delayed neutron precursors, in which pointlike perturbations of thermal absorption cross section at central and noncentral positions are considered as noise sources.

neutron noise

verification calculations

fast systems

hexagonal geometry

Author

Hoai Nam Tran

Chalmers, Applied Physics, Nuclear Engineering

Christophe Demaziere

Chalmers, Applied Physics, Nuclear Engineering

Nuclear Science and Engineering

0029-5639 (ISSN) 1943748x (eISSN)

Vol. 175 3 340-351

Subject Categories

Other Engineering and Technologies

Other Physics Topics

Areas of Advance

Energy

DOI

10.13182/NSE12-49

More information

Latest update

3/2/2022 6