Nodal Method of Calculating Power Distributions for LWR-Type Reactors with Square Fuel Lattices

摘要

A nodal model is developed for calculating the power distribution in the core of a light water reactor with a square fuel lattice. The reactor core is divided into a number of more or less cubic nodes and a nodal coupling equation, which gives the thermal power density in one node as a function of the power densities in the neighbour nodes, is derived from the neutron diffusion equations for two energy groups. The three-dimensional power distribution can be computed iteratively using this coupling equation, for example following the point Jacobi, the Gauss-Seidel or the point successive overrelaxation scheme. The method has been included as the neutronic model in a reactor core simulation computer code BOREAS, where it is combined with a thermal-hydraulic model in order to make a simultaneous computation of the interdependent power and void distributions in a boiling water reactor possible. Also described in this report are a method for temporary one-dimensional iteration developed in order to accelerate the iterative solution of the problem and the Haling principle which is widely used in the planning of reloading operations for BWR reactors. (Atomindex citation 12:622516)