NE 523 Computational Transport Theory

3 Credit Hours

Derivation of the nonlinear Boltzmann equation for a rarefied gas and linearization to the equation of transport of neutral particles. Deterministic methods for solving the neutron transport equation: Multigroup energy discretization; Discrete Ordinates angular discretization; various spatial discretization methods. Convergence of numerical solutions with discretization refinement. Iterative solution algorithms: inner, outer, and power iterations. Spectral analysis of inner iterations convergence and acceleration. Selection of advanced topics.

Prerequisite

Reactor Analysis and Design (NC State NE 401/501)

Advanced math & moderate programming skills are necessary

Permissible programming languages: Fortran or C++

Course Objectives

• Explain the physics foundation of the neutron transport equation (NTE) and its underlying assumptions
• Identify relationships among various numerical methods employed in solving the NTE
• Analyze and justify discretization methods in energy, angle, and space for computationally solving the NTE
• Apply spectral analysis to predict performance of iterative algorithms for solving the NTE
• Implement new Fortran or C++ code or maintain existing code for solving the NTE

Course Requirements

Homework Assignments 20%

Code Assignments 20%

Quizzes 20%

Midterm 20%

Final Exam 20%

Textbook

E. E. Lewis and W. F. Miller, Computational Methods of Neutron Transport, American Nuclear Society (1993).

Verified 11/12/2020