Title
Domain decomposition methods for the neutron diffusion problem
Abstract
The neutronic simulation of a nuclear reactor core is performed using the neutron transport equation, and leads to an eigenvalue problem in the steady-state case. Among the deterministic resolution methods, simplified transport (SP"N) or diffusion approximations are often used. The MINOS solver developed at CEA Saclay uses a mixed dual finite element method for the resolution of these problems, and has shown his efficiency. In order to take into account the heterogeneities of the geometry, a very fine mesh is generally required, and leads to expensive calculations for industrial applications. In order to take advantage of parallel computers, and to reduce the computing time and the local memory requirement, we propose here two domain decomposition methods based on the MINOS solver. The first approach is a component mode synthesis method on overlapping subdomains: several eigenmodes solutions of a local problem on each subdomain are taken as basis functions used for the resolution of the global problem on the whole domain. The second approach is an iterative method based on a non-overlapping domain decomposition with Robin interface conditions. At each iteration, we solve the problem on each subdomain with the interface conditions given by the solutions on the adjacent subdomains estimated at the previous iteration. Numerical results on parallel computers are presented for the diffusion model on realistic 2D and 3D cores.
Year
DOI
Venue
2010
10.1016/j.matcom.2010.04.009
Mathematics and Computers in Simulation
Keywords
Field
DocType
neutron diffusion problem,65z05,minos solver,domain decomposition method,65n25,eigenvalue problem,domain decomposition,iterative method,diffusion equation,component mode synthesis method,parallel computation,parallel computer,65y05,deterministic resolution method,65n55,local problem,65n30,global problem,non-overlapping domain decomposition
Neutron transport,Mathematical optimization,Mortar methods,Iterative method,Finite element method,Basis function,Solver,Domain decomposition methods,Diffusion equation,Mathematics
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
80
11
Mathematics and Computers in Simulation
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
3
0.52
0
Authors
3
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Pierre Guérin130.52
Anne-Marie Baudron231.19
Jean-Jacques Lautard330.86