2008 September 1

Flux Shape in Various Reactor Geometries

in One Energy Group
B. Rouben
McMaster University
EP 4D03/6D03
Nuclear Reactor Analysis
2008 Sept-Dec
2008 September 2
Contents
We derive the 1-group flux shape in the critical
homogeneous infinite-slab reactor and infinite-
cylinder reactor + Exercises for other
geometries.
Reference: Duderstadt & Hamilton Section 5 III
2008 September 3
Diffusion Equation
We derived the time-independent neutron-balance
equation in 1 energy group for a finite, homogeneous
reactor:
We showed that we could introduce the concept of
geometrical buckling B
2
(the negative of the flux
curvature), and rewrite the equation as
where B
2
has to satisfy the criticality condition
) 1 ( 0
2
= L + L \ o v o o
f a
D
) 2 ( 0
2 2
= + \ o o B
) 3 (
1 1
2
2
L
k
D
B
a f

= L L =

v
2008 September 4
Solving the Flux-Shape Equation
Eq. (2) is the equation to be solved for the flux shape.
We will study solutions of this shape equation for various
geometries, and will start with the case of an infinite
cylindrical reactor.
The thing to remember is that the solution must satisfy the
diffusion boundary condition, i.e. flux = 0 at the
extrapolated outer surface of the reactor.
While Eq. (2) can in general have a large multitude of
solutions, we will see that the addition of the boundary
condition makes Eq. (2) an eigenvalue problem, i.e., a
situation where only distinct, separated solutions exist.
2008 September 5
Solving the Flux-Shape Equation
We will now apply the eigenvalue equation to
the infinite-slab geometry and the infinite-
cylinder geometry, and solve for the
geometrical buckling and the flux shape.
As concluded before, we will always find that
the curvature of the 1-group flux in a
homogeneous reactor is always negative.
2008 September 6
Interactive Discussion/Exercise
Given that the curvature of the 1-group flux in a
homogeneous reactor is negative, where do you think
the maximum flux would have to be in a regular-shaped
reactor?
Explain.
Do not turn the page until you have attempted/done this
discussion/exercise.
2008 September 7
Intentionally Left Blank
2008 September 8
Maximum Flux
In a 1-group homogeneous reactor of regular shape, the
maximum flux must necessarily be at the centre of the
reactor.
We can explain that by reductio ad absurdum.
Suppose the flux is a maximum not at the centre of the
reactor; if we draw a straight line from the maximum
point to the centre of the reactor, then by symmetry,
there would have to be another maximum on the
same line on the other side of the centre. Therefore the
centre of the reactor would be at a local minimum
along that straight line, which would imply that the flux
does not have negative curvature along that straight
line!
2008 September 9
Infinite-Slab Case
Let us study the simple case of a slab reactor of width
a in the x direction, and infinite in the y and z
directions.
Eq. (2) then reduces to its 1-dimensional version, in
the x direction
(4)
We can without loss of generality place the slab
symmetrically about x = 0, in the interval [-a/2, a/2].
contd
0
2
2
2
= + o
o
B
dx
d
2008 September 10
Infinite-Slab Reactor Geometry
x = 0
x = a/2 x =
a
ex
/2
x = -a/2
2008 September 11
Infinite Slab (contd)
We also know that:
The flux must be symmetric about x = 0, and
The flux must be 0 at the extrapolated boundaries, which
we can call s a
ex
/2
Eq. (4) has the well-known solutions sin(Bx) and
cos(Bx).
Therefore the most general solution to Eq. (4) may
be written as
(5)
contd
Bx A Bx A x sin cos
2 1
+ = o
2008 September 12
Infinite Slab (contd)
However, symmetry about x = 0 rules out the sin(Bx)
component.
Thus the reactor flux must be
(6)
We can determine B from the boundary condition at a
ex
:
(7)
Now remember that the cos function has zeroes only at
odd multiples of T/2. Therefore B must satisfy:
(8)
contd
Bx A x cos
1
= o
0
2
cos
1
=

'
+

'

ex
Ba
A
odd n with
a
n
B e i
n Ba
ex
ex
= = =
T T
., . ,
2 2
2008 September 13
Infinite Slab (contd)
It looks as if there is an infinite number of values of B.
While that is true mathematically, the only physically
possible value for the flux in the critical reactor is the one
with the lowest value of B, i.e. for n =1:
(9)
We can conclude that Eq. (9) is the only physical solution
from the fact that the solutions with n = 3, 5, 7, all feature
regions of negative o in the reactor, and that is not physical.
Also to be noted from Eq. (9) is that the buckling increases as
the dimensions of the reactor (here a
ex
) decrease [as had also
been concluded earlier] the curvature needs to be greater to
force the flux to 0 at a closer boundary!
contd
ex
a
B
T
=
2008 September 14
Infinite-Slab Case (contd)
The 1-group flux in the infinite-slab reactor can then be
written
The absolute value of the flux, which is related to the
constant A
1
, is undetermined at this point.
This is because Eq. (3) is homogeneous therefore any
multiple of a solution is itself a solution. The physical
significance of this is that the reactor can function at
any power level.
Therefore, to determine A
1
, we must tie the flux down
to some quantitative given data e.g., the desired total
reactor power. contd
) 10 ( cos
1

'
+

'

=
ex
a
x
A x
T
o
2008 September 15
Infinite-Slab Case (contd)
Because the slab is infinite, so is the total power. But we can use the power
generated per unit area of the slab as normalization. Let this be P W/cm
2
.
If we call E
f
the recoverable energy per fission in joules (and we know that
this is ~200 MeV =3.2*10
-11
J), then we can write
And doing the integration will allow us to find A
1
:
i.e.,
So that finally we can write the absolute flux as
) 11 ( ) cos(
2 /
2 /
2 /
2 /
1
dx
a
x
A E dx x E P
a
a
a
a
ex
f f f f


L = L =
T
o
) 12 (
2
sin
2
sin
1
2 /
2 /
1

'
+

'

L =

'
+

'

L =

ex
f f
ex
a
a
ex
f f
ex
a
a
A E
a
a
x
A E
a
P
ex
ex
T
T
T
T
) 13 (
2
sin 2
1

'
+

'

L
=
ex
f f
a
a
aE
P
A
T
T
) 14 ( cos
2
sin 2

'
+

'

'
+

'

L
=
ex
ex
f f
a
x
a
a
aE
P
x
T
T
T
o
2008 September 16
Additional Notes
In solving this problem, we found that the reactor equation had very
specific solutions, with only specific, distinct values possible for B.
Actually, there is a general point to be made here: Equations such as
Eq. (3), holding over a certain space and with a boundary condition,
i.e., the diffusion equation for the reactor, fall in the category of
eigenvalue problems, which have distinct solutions [eigenfunctions] -
here the flux distribution o -, with corresponding distinct eigenvalues
(here the buckling B
2
).
Although in this problem we found only 1 physically possible
eigenfunction for the steady-state reactor (the fundamental solution),
the other eigenfunctions are perfectly good mathematical solutions,
which do have meaning.
While these higher eigenfunctions (which have larger values of B)
cannot singly represent the true flux in the reactor, they can exist as
incremental time-dependent perturbations to the fundamental flux,
perturbations which will die away in time as the flux settles into its
fundamental solution.
2008 September 17
Case of Infinite-Cylinder Reactor
Infinite height Radius R
r
2008 September 18
Infinite-Cylinder Reactor
For a homogeneous bare infinite cylinder, the flux is a function of
the radial dimension r only. All axial and azimuthal positions are
equivalent, by symmetry.
We write the eigenvalue equation in cylindrical
co-ordinates, but in the variable r only, in which the divergence is
The 1-group diffusion equation then becomes
By evaluating the derivative explicitly, we can rewrite Eq. (16) as
contd
0
2 2
= + \ o o B
) 15 (
1
2

'
+

'

= \
dr
d
r
dr
d
r
o
o
) 16 ( 0
) ( 1
2
= +

'
+

'

r B
dr
r d
r
dr
d
r
o
o
) 17 ( 0
1
2
2
2
= + + o
o o
B
dr
d
r dr
d
2008 September 19
Infinite-Cylinder Reactor (contd)
We may be completely stumped by Eq. (17), but luckily
our mathematician friend recognized it as a special case
of an equation well known to mathematicians, Bessels
equation (m is a constant):
Eq. (17) corresponds to m = 0, for which this equation
has 2 solutions, the ordinary Bessel functions of the 1
st
and 2
nd
kind, J
0
(Br) and Y
0
(Br) respectively.
These functions are well known to mathematicians (see
sketch on next slide)!
[It sure helps having mathematicians as friends, isnt it,
even if Nobel didnt like them!] contd
) 18 ( 0
1
2
2
2
2
2
=

'
+

'

+ + o
o o
r
m
B
dr
d
r dr
d
2008 September 20
Infinite-Cylinder Reactor (contd)
I sketch the functions J
0
(x) and Y
0
(x) below:
Although, mathematically speaking, the general solution of Eq. (17)
is a combination of J
0
(x) and Y
0
(x), Y
0
(x) tends to - as x tends to 0
and is therefore not physically acceptable for a flux. contd
2008 September 21
Infinite-Cylinder Reactor (contd)
The only acceptable solution for the flux in a bare, homogeneous
infinite cylinder is then
The flux must go to 0 at the extrapolated radial boundary .
Therefore we must have
The figure in the previous slide shows that J
0
(x) has several
zeroes, labelled [the 1st is at x
1
= 2.405, the 2
nd
at x
2
} 5.6]
But because, physically, the flux cannot have regions of negative
values, B for the infinite cylinder can be given only by
Therefore the buckling for the infinite cylinder is
) 19 (
0
Br AJ r = o
ex
R
) 20 ( 0
0
=
ex
BR J
) 21 (
405 . 2
1
1
ex ex
R R
x
B = =
) 22 (
405 . 2
2
2

'
+

'

=
ex
R
B
2008 September 22
Infinite-Cylinder Reactor (contd)
The 1-group flux shape in the infinite homogeneous
cylindrical reactor is then
As before, the absolute magnitude of the flux (i.e., the
constant A) can be determined only from some
quantitative information about the flux, for example
the power per unit axial dimension of the cylinder.
If we denote that power density P, and the energy
released in fission, we can write:
) 23 (
405 . 2
0

'
+

'

=
ex
R
r
AJ r o
) 24 ( 2 2
0 0
0 0

L = L = L =
R R
f f f f f f
rdr Br J AE rdr Br J AE dV E P T T o
2008 September 23
Infinite-Cylinder Reactor (contd)
The integral on the Bessel function may look
forbidding, but it can be evaluated from known
relationships between various Bessel functions.
Ill just give the final result here without derivation.
If we ignore the extrapolation distance,
which gives for the 1-group flux the final equation
) 26 (
405 . 2 738 . 0
0
2

'
+

'

L
=
R
r
J
R E
P
r
f f
o
) 25 (
738 . 0
2
R E
P
A
f f
L
=
2008 September 24
Exercise/Assignment: Apply to Other Shapes
Exercise: Apply the eigenvalue Eq. (3) to the
following geometries to find the geometrical
buckling and the flux shape:
Parallelepiped
Finite cylinder
Sphere
Note: in the cases of the parallelepiped and of the
finite cylinder, invoke separability, i.e., write the
solution as a product of functions in the appropriate
dimensions, each with its own directional bucklings,
which add to the total buckling.
Do not turn the page until you have attempted/done
this discussion/exercise.
2008 September 25
Intentionally Left Blank
2008 September 26
Parallelepiped Reactor
-a/2 +a/2
+b/2
-b/2
c/2
-c/2
x
y
z
2008 September 27
Parallelepiped Reactor
Directional bucklings:
Total buckling:
Flux shape:
If total power = P, and neglecting extrapolation distance:
) 27 ( , ,
2
2
2
2
2
2

'
+

'

'
+

'

'
+

'

=
ex
z
ex
y
ex
x
c
B
b
B
a
B
T T T
) 28 (
2 2 2 2
z y x
B B B B + + =
) 29 ( cos cos cos , ,
ex ex ex
c
z
b
y
a
x
A z y x
T T T
o =
) 30 (
8
3
f f
abcE
P
A
L
=
T
2008 September 28
Finite-Cylinder Reactor
Finite height Radius R
r
+H/2
-H/2
2008 September 29
Finite-Cylinder Reactor
Directional and total bucklings:
Flux shape:
) 31 ( , ,
405 . 2
2 2 2
2
2
2
2
z r
ex
z
ex
r
B B B
H
B
R
B + =

'
+

'

'
+

'

=
T
) 32 ( cos
405 . 2
,
0

'
+

'

'
+

'

=
ex ex
H
z
R
r
AJ z r
T
o
2008 September 30
Spherical Reactor
Sphere of radius R
Buckling:
Flux shape:
) 34 (
sin
r
R
r
A r
ex

'
+

'

=
T
o
) 33 (
2
2

'
+

'

=
ex
R
B
T
2008 September 31
Summary
We can obtain the solution for the 1-group flux
shape in bare homogeneous reactors of various
geometries.
In each case we determine directional bucklings
(if applicable) and the total buckling, in terms of
the dimensions of the reactor.
The buckling(s) must take the lowest
mathematical values allowed, to ensure that the
flux solution is physical everywhere in the reactor.
2008 September 32
END