Semi-implicit direct kinetics(SIDK)is an innovative method for the temporal discretization of neutronic equations proposed by J.Banfield.The key approximation of the SIDK method is to substitute a timeaveraged quantit...Semi-implicit direct kinetics(SIDK)is an innovative method for the temporal discretization of neutronic equations proposed by J.Banfield.The key approximation of the SIDK method is to substitute a timeaveraged quantity for the fission source term in the delayed neutron differential equations.Hence,these equations are decoupled from prompt neutron equations and an explicit analytical representation of precursor groups is obtained,which leads to a significant reduction in computational cost.As the fission source is not known in a time step,the original study suggested using a constant quantity pertaining to the previous time step for this purpose,and a reduction in the size of the time step was proposed to lessen the imposed errors.However,this remedy notably diminishes the main advantage of the SIDK method.We discerned that if the original method is properly introduced into the algorithm of the point-implicit solver along with some modifications,the mentioned drawbacks will be mitigated adequately.To test this idea,a novel multigroup,multi-dimensional diffusion code using the finitevolume method and a point-implicit solver is developed which works in both transient and steady states.In addition to the SIDK,two other kinetic methods,i.e.,direct kinetics and higher-order backward discretization,are programmed into the diffusion code for comparison with the proposed model.The final code is tested at different conditions of two well-known transient benchmark problems.Results indicate that while the accuracy of the improved SIDK is closely comparable with the best available kinetic methods,it reduces the total time required for computation by up to 24%.展开更多
In this study, two modifications are proposed to mitigate drawbacks of the conventional approach of using the ‘‘Porous Media Model''(PMM) for nuclear reactor analysis. In the conventional approach, whole rea...In this study, two modifications are proposed to mitigate drawbacks of the conventional approach of using the ‘‘Porous Media Model''(PMM) for nuclear reactor analysis. In the conventional approach, whole reactor core simplifies to a single porous medium and also, the resistance coefficients that are essential to using this model are constant values. These conditions impose significant errors and restrict the applications of the model for many cases,including accident analysis. In this article, the procedures for calculating the coefficients are modified by introducing a practical algorithm. Using this algorithm will result in obtaining each coefficient as a function of mass flow rate.Furthermore, the method of applying these coefficients to the reactor core is modified by dividing the core into several porous media instead of one. In this method, each porous medium comprises a single fuel assembly. PMM with these two modifications is termed ‘‘multi-region PMM'' in this study. Then, the multi-region PMM is introduced to a new CFD-based thermo-hydraulic code that is specifically devised for combining with neutronic codes.The CITVAP code, which solves multi-group diffusion equations, is the selected as the neutronic part for this study. The resulting coupled code is used for simulation of natural circulation in a MTR. A new semi-analytic method,based on steady-state CFD analysis is developed to verify the results of this case. Results demonstrate considerable improvement, compared to the conventional approach.展开更多
文摘Semi-implicit direct kinetics(SIDK)is an innovative method for the temporal discretization of neutronic equations proposed by J.Banfield.The key approximation of the SIDK method is to substitute a timeaveraged quantity for the fission source term in the delayed neutron differential equations.Hence,these equations are decoupled from prompt neutron equations and an explicit analytical representation of precursor groups is obtained,which leads to a significant reduction in computational cost.As the fission source is not known in a time step,the original study suggested using a constant quantity pertaining to the previous time step for this purpose,and a reduction in the size of the time step was proposed to lessen the imposed errors.However,this remedy notably diminishes the main advantage of the SIDK method.We discerned that if the original method is properly introduced into the algorithm of the point-implicit solver along with some modifications,the mentioned drawbacks will be mitigated adequately.To test this idea,a novel multigroup,multi-dimensional diffusion code using the finitevolume method and a point-implicit solver is developed which works in both transient and steady states.In addition to the SIDK,two other kinetic methods,i.e.,direct kinetics and higher-order backward discretization,are programmed into the diffusion code for comparison with the proposed model.The final code is tested at different conditions of two well-known transient benchmark problems.Results indicate that while the accuracy of the improved SIDK is closely comparable with the best available kinetic methods,it reduces the total time required for computation by up to 24%.
文摘In this study, two modifications are proposed to mitigate drawbacks of the conventional approach of using the ‘‘Porous Media Model''(PMM) for nuclear reactor analysis. In the conventional approach, whole reactor core simplifies to a single porous medium and also, the resistance coefficients that are essential to using this model are constant values. These conditions impose significant errors and restrict the applications of the model for many cases,including accident analysis. In this article, the procedures for calculating the coefficients are modified by introducing a practical algorithm. Using this algorithm will result in obtaining each coefficient as a function of mass flow rate.Furthermore, the method of applying these coefficients to the reactor core is modified by dividing the core into several porous media instead of one. In this method, each porous medium comprises a single fuel assembly. PMM with these two modifications is termed ‘‘multi-region PMM'' in this study. Then, the multi-region PMM is introduced to a new CFD-based thermo-hydraulic code that is specifically devised for combining with neutronic codes.The CITVAP code, which solves multi-group diffusion equations, is the selected as the neutronic part for this study. The resulting coupled code is used for simulation of natural circulation in a MTR. A new semi-analytic method,based on steady-state CFD analysis is developed to verify the results of this case. Results demonstrate considerable improvement, compared to the conventional approach.
