Development of a Computer Programme for the Long-Term Variation of the Axial Flux Distribution in a Nuclear Reactor

Abstract

A computer code has been developed for the calculation by quadrature of the axial distribution of neutron flux when the reactivity is a function of the flux and the latter is assumed symmetrical with respect to the centre plane.

This code solves a one-dimensional, one-group, non-linear diffusion equation which has been shown to be applicable to neutron distribution problems with depletion and flux dependent feedback.

The solutions are compared with those obtained from another research group and the results are tabulated and reproduced graphically.

The general features of the computer code are:

• 1- the algorithm used is simple and has no stability restrictions;
• 2- the code is easy to use;
• 3- the code is general enough to permit studying a variety of situations for which no analytical solution exists;
• 4- the code is inexpensive to run;