
Modelling of Nuclear Reactor Multi-physics
From Local Balance Equations to Macroscopic Models in Neutronics and Thermal-Hydraulics
Description
Key Features
- Covers neutron transport, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer, and their interdependence, in one reference
- Analyses the emerging area of multi-physics and multi-scale reactor modelling
- Contains 71 short videos explaining the key concepts and 77 interactive quizzes allowing the readers to test their understanding
Readership
Table of Contents
List of Abbreviations
1. Introduction
1.1 Topics covered in the book
1.2 Structure of the book
1.2.a Contents
1.2.b Pedagogical approach
1.3 Notations and conventions used in the book
1.4 Reminder about some useful mathematical concepts
1.4.a Calculus on scalars, vectors and tensors
1.4.b Spherical coordinates and solid angles
1.4.c Gauss divergence theorems
References
2. Transport phenomena in nuclear reactors
2.1 Nuclear reactors as multi-physics and multi-scale systems
2.1.a Multi-physics aspects
2.1.b Multi-scale aspects
2.2 Neutron transport
2.2.a Introduction
2.2.b Derivation of the neutron transport equation
2.3 Fluid dynamics
2.3.a Mathematical formalism
2.3.b Generic differential conservation laws
2.3.c Mass and momentum differential conservation equations
2.4 Heat transfer
2.4.a Heat transfer by conduction
2.4.b Heat transfer by convection
2.5 Overview of the modelling strategies
2.6 Deterministic and macroscopic modelling of nuclear systems
2.6.a Equations governing the neutron flux
2.6.b Equations governing the temperature and flow fields
2.6.c Coupling between the neutron kinetic and thermal- hydraulic modellings
2.7 Conclusions
References
3. Neutron transport calculations at the cell and assembly levels
3.1 Representation of the energy dependence
3.1.a Multi-group formalism
3.1.b Nuclear data libraries
3.2 Treatment of resonances
3.2.a Introduction
3.2.b Neutron slowing-down without absorption
3.2.c Neutron slowing-down with absorption
3.3 Resolving the energy dependence
3.4 One-dimensional micro-group pin cell calculations
3.4.a Introduction
3.4.b Transport correction
3.4.c Method of collision probabilities
3.4.d Properties of the probabilities
3.4.e Application of the method of collision probabilities
3.4.f Rational approximation
3.5 Two-dimensional macro-group lattice calculations
3.5.a Introduction
3.5.b Method of characteristics
3.5.c Discrete ordinates (SN) method
3.5.d Interface current method
3.5.e Acceleration methods
3.6 Criticality spectrum calculations
3.6.a Introduction
3.6.b Properties of integral operators in infinite and homogeneous media
3.6.c Integral operators in critical systems
3.6.d Homogeneous B1 method
3.6.e Homogeneous P1 method
3.6.f Fundamental mode method
3.7 Cross-section homogenization and condensation
3.8 Depletion calculations
3.9 Cross-section preparation for core calculations
3.10 Conclusions
References
4. Neutron transport calculations at the core level
4.1 Angular discretization of the neutron transport equation
4.1.a Spherical harmonics (PN) method
4.1.b Diffusion theory
4.1.c Simplified PN method (SPN)
4.1.d Boundary conditions
4.2 Spatial discretization of the neutron transport equation
4.2.a Introduction
4.2.b Finite difference methods
4.2.c Nodal methods
4.2.d Finite elements
4.3 Determination of the steady-state core-wise solution
4.3.a Introduction
4.3.b Direct methods
4.3.c Iterative methods
4.4 Determination of the non-steady-state core-wise solution
4.4.a Introduction
4.4.b Analysis of the balance equations with respect to the prompt neutrons
4.4.c Analysis of the balance equations with respect to the delayed neutrons
4.5 Conclusions
References
5. One-/two-phase flow transport and heat transfer
5.1 Tools required for flow transport modelling
5.1.a Introduction
5.1.b Two-phase flow regimes
5.1.c Mathematical tools
5.2 Derivation of the space- and time-averaged conservation equations for flow transport
5.2.a Introduction
5.2.b Space-averaging of the local conservation equations
5.2.c Time-averaging of the space-averaged conservation equations
5.2.d Equations to be solved
5.3 Flow models
5.3.a Two-fluid model
5.3.b Mixture models with specified drift velocities
5.3.c Homogeneous equilibrium model
5.4 Spatial and temporal discretizations of the flow models
5.5 Modelling of heat conduction in solid structures
5.6 Conclusions
References
6. Neutronic/thermal-hydraulic coupling
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Modelling of the dependencies of the nuclear material data
6.2.a Introduction
6.2.b Data functionalization on base and partial values
6.2.c Tree-leaf representation
6.2.d Polynomial fitting
6.3 Spatial coupling
6.3.a Thermal-hydraulic to neutronic coupling
6.3.b Neutronic to thermal-hydraulic coupling
6.3.c Coupling coefficients
6.4 Temporal coupling
6.4.a Introduction
6.4.b Operator Splitting approaches
6.4.c Integrated approaches
6.5 Conclusions
References
7. Conclusions
7.1 Summary
7.2 Outlook
References
Index
Product details
- No. of pages: 368
- Language: English
- Copyright: © Academic Press 2019
- Published: November 18, 2019
- Imprint: Academic Press
- Paperback ISBN: 9780128150696
- eBook ISBN: 9780128150702
About the Author
Christophe Demazière
Affiliations and Expertise
Ratings and Reviews
Latest reviews
(Total rating for all reviews)
Rasmus A. Tue May 12 2020
The reason I fell in love with computational physics
I took Professor Demazière's courses in Physics and Modelling of Nuclear Reactors as a master student a few years back, when he taught using the lecture notes that preceded this book. From skimming the book, it looks like the presentation is broadly similar, although a bit more elaborated and polished in the book form. Back then I had no intention of becoming a computational physicist, but Prof. Demazière's crystal clear way of communicating the very complex subject matter of multi-scale and multi-physics modelling of nuclear reactors was incredibly inspirational, leading me to do a full year master thesis on reactor modelling in Prof. Demazière's group. If there had been any suitable PhD positions available at the time, I would have gladly stayed for a PhD project as well. As it happened, I ended up in battery modelling instead, but I don't think I would have pursued PhD studies if I hadn't fallen in love with physics modelling in Prof. Demazière's classes. I have never had a teacher before or since that can break down such a broad and deep field into a coherent whole in such an elegant manner. His presentation has enough detail and rigour to understand fully where the equations and approaches come from, while never getting bogged down in unnecessary details. He has a clear overarching framework that makes it easier for students to put the subject matter of each chapter into perspective, and his consistency of mathematical notation makes the context switching between neutron physics and thermal-hydraulics as facile as can reasonably be expected. This book dispenses with the artificial division between neutronics and thermal-hydraulics that has pervaded the field before. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to start a career in first principles physics and modelling of nuclear reactors, and I hope it inspires generations of reactor physicists to push the envelope of first principles-understanding and design of hte next generation of nuclear reactors.