Development of new multigrid schemes for the method of characteristics in neutron transport theory

This dissertation is based upon our doctoral research that dealt with the conception and development of new non-linear multigrid techniques for the Method of the Characteristics (MOC) within the TDT code. Here we focus upon a two-level scheme consisting of a fine level on which the neutron transport equation is iteratively solved using the MOC algorithm, and a coarse level defined by a more coarsely discretized phase space on which a low-order problem is considered. The solution of this problem is then used in order to correct the angular flux moments resulting from the previous transport iteration. A flux-volume homogenization procedure is employed to evaluate the coarse-level material properties after each transport iteration. This entails the non-linearity of the methods. According to the Generalised Equivalence Theory (GET), additional degrees of freedom are introduced for the low-order problem so that the convergence of the acceleration scheme can be ensured. We present two classes of non-linear methods: transport-like methods and discussion-like methods. Transport-like methods consider a homogenized low-order transport problem on the coarse level. This problem is iteratively solved using the same MOC algorithm as for the transport problem on the fine level. Discontinuity factors are then employed, per region or per surface, in order to reconstruct the currents evaluated by the low-order operator, which ensure the convergence of the acceleration scheme. On the other hand, discussion-like methods consider a low-order problem inspired by diffusion. We studied the non-linear Coarse Mesh Finite Difference (CMFD) method, already present in literature, in the perspective of integrating it into TDT code. Then, we developed a new non-linear method on the model of CMFD. From the latter, we borrowed the idea to establish a simple relation between currents and fluxes in order to obtain a problem involving only coarse fluxes. Finally, those non-linear methods have been extended to the multigroup problem developing an acceleration for the outer iterations. Tests concerning cases of practical interest have been performed for all the non-linear methods. (author)