Application of Galerkin finite element method to subchannel analysis

Most of the computer codes based upon subchannel analysis, which are important for thermal hydraulic analysis of the reactor core, use the finite difference method to solve the set of equations. In the present study, however, the Galerkin finite element method was tried, with the result that more accurate solutions and more efficient calculations were obtained than those by the finite difference method. The results of error evaluation obtained herein are useful for application of this method to actual subchannel analysis codes and to other general thermal hydraulic analysis codes. As an example, steady-state single-phase subchannel analysis was performed. (author)