Finite difference solution of the time dependent neutron group diffusion equations

Abstract

In this thesis two unrelated topics of reactor physics are examined: the prompt jump approximation and alternating direction checkerboard methods. In the prompt jump approximation it is assumed that the prompt and delayed neutrons in a nuclear reactor may be described mathematically as being instantaneously in equilibrium with each other. This approximation is applied to the spatially dependent neutron diffusion theory reactor kinetics model. Alternating direction checkerboard methods are a family of finite difference alternating direction methods which may be used to solve the multigroup, multidimension, time-dependent neutron diffusion equations. The reactor mesh grid is not swept line by line or point by point as in implicit or explicit alternating direction methods; instead, the reactor mesh grid may be thought of as a checkerboard in which all the ''red squares'' and '' black squares'' are treated successively. Two members of this family of methods, the ADC and NSADC methods, are at least as good as other alternating direction methods. It has been found that the accuracy of implicit and explicit alternating direction methods can be greatly improved by the application of an exponential transformation. This transformation is incompatible with checkerboard methods. Therefore, a new formulation of the exponential transformation has been developed which is compatible with checkerboard methods and at least as good as the former transformation for other alternating direction methods.