A Proposed New Framework for Nuclear Reactor Physics Analysis with Transport Calculation

This paper proposes a new framework for nuclear reactor analysis. The key two elements are: i) local problems defined for a set of "non reflective" boundary conditions are analyzed by continuous-energy Monte Carlo simulations, and transformed into HIRE-theoretic multigroup (2-10 groups) transport equations, and ii) the global multigroup transport equations are solved by appropriate numerical (deterministic) methods in transport theory, such as discrete ordinate (SN) methods and the method of characteristics (MOC), including appropriate acceleration schemes, such as p-CMFD. This paper proposed a new framework for nuclear reactor analysis based on : (i) the whole-core problem is decomposed into several unit problems, (ii) each unit problem is characterized by environmental or neighboring conditions with albedo values, (iii) a unit problem is analyzed by the continuous-energy Monte Carlo simulation, resulting in the homogeneity and isotropy restoration (HIRE)-theoretic multigroup (2 groups in the case of thermal reactors and less than 10 groups in the case of fast reactors) transport equations, (iv) step (iii) is repeated for a set of albedo boundary conditions. The experience of the author and his co-workers indicates that only a few group representation that is allowed in the HIRE-theory can be a viable and effective approach in the reactor design analysis. For the practical application of the new framework, a study for tabulation or functionalization of the HIRE parameters (multigroup cross sections and PCDFs) in terms of albedo, depletion, and temperature is needed for a set of typical unit problems (this could be assisted by multi-variate linear interpolation methods or by various artificial intelligence techniques).