Development of a nuclear engineering computational system for the University of Tennessee

The central problem of nuclear reactor analysis and nuclear design is the determination of the neutron density in a given region of phase space. Once the neutron density has been calculated, it can be combined with basic physics data to determine effects of interest such as reactor power densities, energy deposition rates, and dose rates.

The computational tools of the nuclear analyst are generalized computer codes designed to solve the neutron transport equation and approximations of the neutron transport equation. Other tools include codes that perform data processing in support of analyses. The range and complexity of the tasks performed by these codes have led to the development of the code system concept. Several code systems are available to qualified corporations and institutions.

The objective of this thesis is to develop a permanent Nuclear Engineering Computational System for the University of Tennessee. This computational system can be used by students and faculty as a research, design, or teaching tool. The development described herein was accomplished by the creation of a code system library, the establishment of a data base for use by the code systems, and the validation and documentation of the code systems and data base.

This thesis provides new capabilities for performing nuclear analyses at the University of Tennessee by integrating several code systems into a computational library. Thus, the University has a valuable asset that enhances its nuclear engineering curriculum and is available for use by other institutions through the BITNET communications network.