Accuracy of the Quasistatic Treatment of Spatial Reactor Kinetics

TLDR

The quasistatic approach treats spatial dynamics by factorizing the flux into an amplitude and a shape function, representing one method among a full sequence of methods. The study investigates the accuracy of quasistatic spatial dynamics methods across a wide range of excursions in fast and thermal reactors. The authors compare these methods to a full numerical solution. The quasistatic method accurately describes extreme excursions in fast reactors but can produce appreciable errors in thermal reactors, whereas the improved quasistatic method reduces errors for both reactor types to negligible levels.

Abstract

AbstractThe quasistatic approach of treating the spatial dynamics problem is described as one method out of a full sequence of methods that factorize the flux into an amplitude and a shape function. The accuracy of these methods is investigated for a wide range of excursions in fast and thermal reactors by comparison with a full numerical solution. The quasistatic method describes even extreme excursions in fast reactors very accurately. Its application to thermal reactor excursions may, however, lead to appreciable errors. The “improved quasistatic” method reduces the errors for both types of reactors to negligible amounts so that its application to thermal reactors may be also considered.