NUCL 510

Nuclear Reactor Theory I

Lecture Note 2
Prof. Won Sik Yang
Purdue University
School of Nuclear Engineering

Angular Flux
Neutron density distribution in phase space
n(r , E , , t )dVdEd = Expected number of neutrons in a volume
element dV about r moving in the cone of directions d
about with energies between E and E + dE at time t

Angular flux

dV
r

(r , E , , t ) = v( E )n(r , E , , t )

(r , E , , t )dVdEd dt = v( E )n(r , E , , t )dVdEd dt

Total of the path lengths traveled during dt
by all neutrons in the incremental volume dVdEd

Scalar flux

(r , E , t ) = d (r , E , , t )
4

= v( E ) d n(r , E , , t )
4

y
r
x
2

Boundary Crossing
Neutrons passing trough an incremental surface area dA
Number of neutrons in the volume defined by (vdt ) (n dA)

vdt

n dA

dA

Projection of dA
in the direction of

n(r , E , , t )[vdt ][n dA]dE = n (r , E , , t )dAdtdE

Number of neutrons passing through dA with energies
between E and E + dE that are going in a particular
direction during the time increment from t and t + dt

Currents
Net current
Net number of neutrons with energies between E and E + dE crossing dA
in the directions of positive n regardless of during dt
3

d n (r , E, , t )dAdtdE
= n d (r , E , , t )dAdtdE = n J (r , E , t )dAdtdE

J (r , E , t ) = d (r , E , , t )

dA

Normal current and partial currents

J n (r , E , t ) = n J (r , E , t )
=

d (n ) (r , E , , t ) +

d (n ) (r , E , , t )

d (n ) (r , E , , t )

d | n | (r , E , , t )

n > 0

n > 0

n < 0

n < 0

= J n+ (r , E , t ) J n (r , E , t )
J n+ (r , E , t ) =

n > 0

d n (r , E , , t )

J n (r , E , t ) =

n < 0

d | n | (r , E , , t )
4

Reaction Rates and Neutron Source

Macroscopic cross sections
Reaction probability per unit travel length
x ( r , E , t ) = N i ( r , t ) ix ( E ) = ix ( r , E , t )
i

Reaction rates
x (r , E , t ) (r , E , , t )dVdEd = Total number of reactions of type x
per unit time in the incremental volume dVdEd

Neutron source
Fission source
Scattering source
Independent source

Spontaneous fission: Cf-252

( , n) neutron source: Pu-Be, Am-Be
( , n) neutron source: Be+ (>1.7 MeV), D+ (>2.26 MeV)
Spallation neutron source: Accelerator-driven system
5

Neutron Balance Equation

Change in the number of neutrons in VddE between t and t+t
(Increase in n) = (Losses from streaming) (Losses from collision)
+ (Neutrons emitted)
Increased number of neutrons between t and t + t

u = vt

= [n(r , E , , t + t ) n(r , E , , t )]VdEd

Neutron losses from streaming
= [n(r + u, E , , t ) n(r , E , , t )](vt A)dEd
Neutron losses from collision

dA

r + u

= t (r , E , t ) (r , E , , t )V tdEd
Source neutrons

V = u A = vt A

= Q (r , E , , t )V tdEd
6

Neutron Balance Equation

Taylor series expansions
n(r , E , , t + t ) n(r , E , , t )

n
1
t =
t
t
v( E ) t

n(r + u, E , , t ) n(r , E , , t )

V = u A = vt A
u = vt

n
u
u

u
= ( n)u = [ (vn)]
= ( )t
v

dA
r

r + u

Time-dependent Boltzmann transport equation

1
(r , E , , t ) = (r , E , , t ) t (r , E , t ) (r , E , , t ) + Q(r , E , , t )
v( E ) t

Time-independent Boltzmann transport equation

(r , E , ) + t (r , E ) (r , E , ) = Q (r , E , )
7

Scattering Source
z

Scattering source

S s (r , E , , t ) = dE d s (r , E E , , t ) (r , E , , t )

The scattering kernel is commonly represented by

a Legendre polynomial expansion in the form

( E E , ) = ( E E , )
i
s

i
s

=
l =0

(2l + 1) i
sl ( E E ) Pl ( )
4

= cos s = s

Emin = i E

Emax = E

Prompt Fission Source

Total number of fission neutrons
Fission rate of nuclide i at position r = dE fi (r , E , t ) (r , E , t )
5.0E-03

Number of neutrons from nuclide i

1.0E-05 eV
5.0E+05 eV

fissions at position r
= dE i ( E ) fi (r , E , t ) (r , E , t )

Fission Spectrum

6.0E+06 eV
1.4E+07 eV
3.0E+07 eV
2.5E-03

Number of prompt fission

neurons appearing with energy E
Fission neutrons are isotropic

0.0E+00
1.E+05

1.E+06

1.E+07

Energy (eV)

Fp (r , E , , t ) =

1
4

dE

pi

( E E ) pi ( E ) fi (r , E , t ) (r , E , t )

If the fission spectrum is independent of the incident neutron energy,

Fp (r , E , , t ) =

1
4

pi

( E ) dE pi ( E ) fi (r , E , t ) (r , E , t )

Delayed Neutron Source

Delayed neutron source
Generated following beta decays of certain fission products
Grouped into six families depending on decay constants

S d (r , E , , t ) =
87Br

55s

87Kr

1
4

dki

( E )ki Cki (r , t )

235U

10

Reactor Kinetics Equations

Reactor kinetics equations
1
(r , E , , t ) = (Fp M ) (r , E , , t ) + S d (r , E , , t ) + S (r , E , , t )
v( E ) t

Cki (r , t ) = ki Cki (r , t ) + dE dki ( E ) fi (r , E , t ) (r , E , t ) (k = 1, 2, , 6)

t

Migration and loss operator

M (r , E , , t ) = (r , E , , t ) + t (r , E , t ) (r , E , , t )
dE d s (r , E E , , t ) (r , E , , t )

Prompt fission operator

Fp (r , E , , t ) =

1
4

pi

( E ) dE pi ( E ) fi (r , E , t ) (r , E , t )

Delayed fission neutron operator

S d (r , E , , t ) =

1
4

dki

( E )ki Cki (r , t )

11

Steady State Condition and Total Fission Operator

Delayed neutron source at steady state
dCki
1
= 0 Cki 0 (r ) =
dE dki ( E ) fi (r , E )0 (r , E )

dt
ki
1
4

S d 0 ( r , E , ) =

dki

( E )ki Cki 0 (r )

Total fission operator

F (r , E , ) = Fp (r , E , ) + S d 0 (r , E , )
=

1
4

dE ( E E ) ( E )
i

fi

(r , E ) (r , E )

i ( E ) = pi ( E ) + di ( E )
i ( E E ) =

1
[ ( E E ) pi ( E ) + di ( E ) di ( E )]
i ( E ) pi
12

Time-Independent Transport Equations

Stationary neutron balance equation

= 0 (Fp M ) (r , E , , t ) + S d 0 (r , E , , t ) + S (r , E , , t ) = 0
t
M (r , E , ) = Fp (r , E , ) + S d 0 (r , E , ) + S (r , E , )
= F ( r , E , ) + S ( r , E , )
M (r , E , ) = (r , E , ) + t (r , E ) (r , E , )
dE d s (r , E E , ) (r , E , )

F ( r , E , ) =

1
4

dE ( E E ) ( E)
i

fi

(r , E ) (r , E )

Non-trivial solution to the source-free transport equation can be found only

when the system is critical
M ( r , E , ) = F ( r , E , )
13

-Eigenvalue problem
Non-trivial solution to the source-free transport equation can be found
only when the system is critical
M (r , E , ) = F (r , E , ) critical (non-zero steady-state solution)
M (r , E , ) > F (r , E , ) subcritical (zero flux)
M (r , E , ) < F (r , E , ) supercritical (increasing flux with time)

no steay state solution

-Eigenvalue problem
To the degree of off-criticality, the fission source is modified by a factor
M (r , E , ) = F (r , E , ) ( = 1/ k )

There exists a non-trivial solution only when (M-F) is singular

< 1 (k > 1) super-critical

= 1 (k = 1) critical
> 1 (k < 1) sub-critical
14

Transport Equation for 1-D Plane Geometry

1-D slab geometry
In the 1-D plane geometry, the angular flux is independent of the azimuthal
angle so that the angular dependence is reduced to the interval (-1,1).
The angular flux is independent of x
and y

z
a/2

=
=0
x y

Consequently, the angular flux is a

function of z and only

( z, ) =

( z, )
z

= cos

a / 2

( z, E , ) = t ( z, E ) ( z, E , ) dE d s ( z , E E , ) ( z , E , )
z
1
+
dE i ( E E ) i ( E ) fi ( z , E ) ( z , E ) + S ( z , E , )

4 i

15

Boundary and Interface Conditions

Boltzmann equation is an integro-differential equation of first order
One boundary condition and one condition for each interface are required

Interface condition
Angular flux is continuous at region interfaces, since
the interface has neither a finite neutron absorption nor
emission capability

ri ri +

(ri , E , ) = (ri , E , )

Boundary condition
At the outer boundary with a vacuum outside of a
convex medium
No neutrons move from the vacuum into the system
since a vacuum contains neither a source or scattering
material
No neutrons emitted into the vacuum from the reactor
will ever come back

in

vacuum
n
rv

(rv , E , in ) = 0 for in n < 0

16

Simplifications for Practical Core Calculation

Current design tools solve the transport equations with various
approximations and sophisticated multi-step procedures
Average parameters for whole-core calculations are determined by a series
of sub-domain calculations with increased modeling details and
approximate boundary conditions
Detailed information is approximately recovered by reconstruction
(de-homogenization) method
Multi-group
XS Library
Generation

Lattice Physics
Transport
Calculation

Few-group
Core Calculation
(Diffusion)

Nuclear Data

Resonance integral
vs. background XS
& temperature

17

Operators in Reactor Applications

Operators express certain mathematical operations or prescriptions to
be carried out with a function or a vector
Applying an operator to a function (vector) yields another function (vector)

Df (t ) =

d
f (t ) f (t ) (differntial operator)
dt

Kf ( E ) = dE K ( E E ) f ( E ) g ( E ) (integral operator)
0

Au v

(matrix operator)

Mapping from a vector (linear) space to another vector (linear) space

d
Df (t ) =
f (t ) = g (t )
dt

K ( E ) =

E /

( E )
dE
(1 ) E

t
t2
t3

3t 2

1
1/ E
E

ln(1/ ) / (1 )
1/ E
E /

1
2t

18

Inner Product
Space of n-dimensional real vectors
n

u = (u1 , u2 , , un ) , v = (v1 , v2 , , vn ) , (u , v ) = u v = ui vi
T

i =1

v = (v , v ), (u , v ) = u v cos

u = (u , u ),

Space of n-dimensional complex vectors

< u , v > = u H v = (u )T v , u H = (u )T = (u1 , u2 , , un ) (conjugate transpose)

Space of real functions

b

< f , g > = f ( x) g ( x)dx

a

f = < f , f > = [ f ( x)] dx,

a

cos =

g = < g , g > = [ g ( x)]2 dx

a

< f ,g >
f g

Space of complex functions

b

< f , g > = f ( x)g ( x)dx

a

19

Adjoint Operators
Adjoint operator
< g , Kf > = < K * g , f >, f X , g Y , K : X Y , K * : Y X

K*g = p

K*

Kf = h

K*g = p

h = Kf

Matrix operator

< p, f > = p f cos

< g , h > = g h cos

Real space
< u , Av > = u T Av = ( Av )T u = v T AT u = < AT u , v >

A * = AT

If A = AT (symmetric), then A = A* (self-adjoint)

Complex space
< u , Av > = (u )T Av = ( Av )T u = v T AT u = < AT u , v > A* = AT = A H
If A = A H (Hermitian), then A = A* (self-adjoint)
20

Adjoint Operators
Differential operator
Real space
b
b
d
dg
df
b
f, g = f
dt = fg a +
a
a
dt
dt
dt

gdt
=

f ,g

dt

d
d
=
dt
dt

if fg a = f (b) g (b) f (a ) g (a ) = 0 (bilinear concomitant)

b

The function spaces for a differential operator are defined with the
boundary conditions that make the bilinear concomitant vanish

Integral operators
Real space
Kg ( E ) = dE K ( E E ) g ( E )
< f , Kg > = dx f ( x) dxK ( x x) g ( x) = dx dxf ( x) K ( x x) g ( x)
= dx dxf ( x) K ( x x) g ( x) = dxg ( x) dxK ( x x) f ( x) = < K * f , g >

K * f ( E ) = dE K ( E E ) f ( E )
21