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Neutron Diffusion and Moderation

This document discusses neutron diffusion and moderation. It introduces concepts like the neutron flux, Fick's law, the diffusion equation, and its solution for an infinite slab with a point source. It discusses the thermal diffusion length and how it relates to criticality and material buckling. It also introduces the effective multiplication factor and how to account for leakage. Finally, it discusses how to extend the single-group diffusion model to account for two energy groups of neutrons.

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83 views22 pages

Neutron Diffusion and Moderation

This document discusses neutron diffusion and moderation. It introduces concepts like the neutron flux, Fick's law, the diffusion equation, and its solution for an infinite slab with a point source. It discusses the thermal diffusion length and how it relates to criticality and material buckling. It also introduces the effective multiplication factor and how to account for leakage. Finally, it discusses how to extend the single-group diffusion model to account for two energy groups of neutrons.

Uploaded by

Halide çelikten
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Neutron Diffusion and

Moderation
Energy dependent flux

F  



Fa   a E  E dE
0
Fick’s Law
 Luckily for you you still don’t have to solve
the previous equation
 FIRST ASSUMPTION THE NEUTRONS
ARE MONOENERGETIC (x) J
x

d
J x  D
dx
x
Current is a Vector
z
Jz-
d J z  J z   J z
cos  dS  s r
dr dJ z  dS   sdV  e
4 r 2

d r
x

dS
y

Rearrange and substitute in spherical coordinates
Magic Happens

2 2 
s
J z 
4
   e cos sindddr
 s r

0 0 0

Use the Maclaurin series then integrate …….

 1  
J z    
3 s z 
Use the Gradient
 Solve for the neutron current in the x and y
direction.
 1  
J z      1    
3 s z  J      
 1   3 s x y z 
J x    
3 s x 
J  D
 1  
J y    
3 s y 

What’s Important

1 1 tr
D  
3 tr 3 s 1 cos  3

Use the average angle of scatter to correct for the anisotropic scattering

2
cos 
3A
Continuity
 Accumulation = Source -Sinks
 As neutrons diffuse through a reactor core they
may
 Be absorbed by fuel, moderator, coolant,structure
 Leak out of the core boundaries
 Act as a source for more “new” fission neutrons
Individually
 Source

S  k a
 Absorbed

# abs   a

What about leakage?

Jy+dy
  2  
Ly net  Ly dy  Ly  D  2 dydxdz  D dxdz
y y  y

 2
Ly net  D 2 dxdydz
Jy y


Leakage
 Same derivation for the x and y directions
 Add the leakage terms together

 2  2  2 
L  D 2  2  2  D 2
x y z 


Back to Continuity
 Accumulation=Source - leak - lost

dn
 k  a   D    a 
2

dt

 At Steady State

0  k  a   D    a 
2
Manipulation
 Divide by macroscopic absorption cross-
section
0  k 
 
D 2


a
 Rearrange

0  k 1 
D  
2

 
 a
Thermal Diffusion Length
 Define a term L - thermal diffusion length
D
L
a
 Substitute into Continuity equation and
rearrange
 0
k 1
 
2
2
L
Material Buckling

0
k 1
 
2
2
L
0B  
2 2

 k 1
B  2
2

L

Steady State core
 The material buckling has an inverse relation
to the size of a critical core.
 The overall neutron production must just
balance the lost and the leaking

k 1 1
B  2 1  k 2 2
2

L B L 1
Infinite and Effective

1
1  k 2 2  k eff Pnl
B L 1
1
Pnl  2 2
B L 1

Remember our original assumption? Mono energetic neutrons


So this is for thermal neutrons only.


Solving the Diffusion Equation
 Infinite slab
 Point source

Great Math in the text and I am not going to reproduce


it here.
Crow’s Flight
 We now have enough
information to get a
better estimate
r
 Instead of using the
mean free path to
estimate distance
traveled for neutrons
use diffusion length
1 2
L  r
2

6
Correcting the mono energetic
 To correct the flux for thermal energies use eq
5.58
 To correct the absorption cross sections use
eq 5.59
 To correct D and L for Temperature use 5.63
and 5.64
Two Groups
 Ok we can solve for two energy groups
 Fast and Slow

M L 
2 2
Two groups
 M is migration length and is neutron age

 Substitute M for L and you have the two group


solution.


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