Energy Dependent Transport Model of the Neutron Number Probability Distribution in a Subcritical Multiplying Assembly
File(s)NSE17-65RevisedClean.pdf (18.19 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Saxby, JEM
Prinja, A
Eaton, M
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The time and phase-space dependent backward master equation is used to develop and numerically solve a coupled system of transport equations for the probability distribution of the neutron number in subregions of a spherically symmetric, reflected, subcritical plutonium sphere. The number distributions are computed for a single initial neutron injected into the assembly and localized in phase space as well as in the presence of a uniformly distributed spontaneous fission source in the fissile region. A standard multigroup, discrete ordinates scheme with second-order spatial and fully implicit time discretization proved sufficiently accurate for this application. The results presented show complex behaviors arising from the material interface and spectral effects due to neutron slowing down that cannot be encapsulated in a lumped model. Additionally, low-order spatial moments were computed both by averaging the number distributions of finite order and directly solving the transport equations for the moments using the same numerical scheme. While generally excellent agreement is observed between the two approaches, the truncation order has a noticeable effect on the accuracy of the higher moments that are computed using the number distributions.
Date Issued
2017-09-28
Date Acceptance
2017-08-10
Citation
Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2017, 189 (1), pp.1-25
ISSN
0029-5639
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Start Page
1
End Page
25
Journal / Book Title
Nuclear Science and Engineering
Volume
189
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© Crown Copyright. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in Nuclear Science and Engineering on 28 Sept 2017, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/00295639.2017.1367569
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (E
Grant Number
EP/J002011/1
EP/K503733/1
Subjects
0915 Interdisciplinary Engineering
Energy
Notes
peerreview_statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope. aims_and_scope_url: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=unse20
Publication Status
Published online
Date Publish Online
2017-09-28