Neutronics Analysis of Pressurized Water Reactor Cores using IDEA Code [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]

Background This paper discusses the development and benchmarking of IDEA (Indigenous Diffusion Equation Analyzer), an in-house transient, multi-group, 3-dimensional neutron diffusion equation (NDE) code. IDEA can perform both steady-state criticality calculations and reactivity transient analysis fo...

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Main Authors: Ubaid ur Rehman, Zahid Rasool, M. Jawad Hussain, Ali Mansoor, Farhana Kausar, Haseeb ur Rehman, Aman ur Rehman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: F1000 Research Ltd 2025-01-01
Series:Nuclear Science and Technology Open Research
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Online Access:https://nstopenresearch.org/articles/3-4/v1
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author Ubaid ur Rehman
Zahid Rasool
M. Jawad Hussain
Ali Mansoor
Farhana Kausar
Haseeb ur Rehman
Aman ur Rehman
author_facet Ubaid ur Rehman
Zahid Rasool
M. Jawad Hussain
Ali Mansoor
Farhana Kausar
Haseeb ur Rehman
Aman ur Rehman
author_sort Ubaid ur Rehman
collection DOAJ
description Background This paper discusses the development and benchmarking of IDEA (Indigenous Diffusion Equation Analyzer), an in-house transient, multi-group, 3-dimensional neutron diffusion equation (NDE) code. IDEA can perform both steady-state criticality calculations and reactivity transient analysis for 3-dimensional rectangular geometries, with potential extension to cylindrical geometries. Methods The IDEA code employs the finite difference method (FDM) for spatial and temporal discretization, enhanced by source extrapolation-based acceleration. Its performance was evaluated by comparing its results with those of established NDE-based codes, PRIDE and CITATION. Various 2D and 3D steady-state and transient reactivity benchmark problems were used for this comparison. Results The results obtained from IDEA were found to be in close agreement with reference values from publicly available literature. In addition, the IDEA code demonstrated superior accuracy and consistency compared to PRIDE and CITATION in both steady-state and transient reactivity analyses. A neutronic analysis of a typical small PWR core under clean and cold conditions also showed validation against reference results. Conclusions The IDEA code has shown promising figures of merit to be used for practical neutronic calculations. Moreover, a multitude of users can benefit from its further development due to ease of access and lack of proprietary restrictions.
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publishDate 2025-01-01
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spelling doaj-art-62a3ce07ef8e491c833d7ec83565dade2025-08-20T02:43:20ZengF1000 Research LtdNuclear Science and Technology Open Research2755-967X2025-01-01310.12688/nuclscitechnolopenres.17629.118912Neutronics Analysis of Pressurized Water Reactor Cores using IDEA Code [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]Ubaid ur Rehman0Zahid Rasool1M. Jawad Hussain2Ali Mansoor3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2013-3391Farhana Kausar4Haseeb ur Rehman5Aman ur Rehman6Department of Nuclear Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory, 45650, PakistanDepartment of Nuclear Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory, 45650, PakistanDepartment of Nuclear Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory, 45650, PakistanDepartment of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, The Ohio State University Graduate School, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, USADepartment of Nuclear Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory, 45650, PakistanDepartment of Nuclear Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory, 45650, PakistanDepartment of Nuclear Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory, 45650, PakistanBackground This paper discusses the development and benchmarking of IDEA (Indigenous Diffusion Equation Analyzer), an in-house transient, multi-group, 3-dimensional neutron diffusion equation (NDE) code. IDEA can perform both steady-state criticality calculations and reactivity transient analysis for 3-dimensional rectangular geometries, with potential extension to cylindrical geometries. Methods The IDEA code employs the finite difference method (FDM) for spatial and temporal discretization, enhanced by source extrapolation-based acceleration. Its performance was evaluated by comparing its results with those of established NDE-based codes, PRIDE and CITATION. Various 2D and 3D steady-state and transient reactivity benchmark problems were used for this comparison. Results The results obtained from IDEA were found to be in close agreement with reference values from publicly available literature. In addition, the IDEA code demonstrated superior accuracy and consistency compared to PRIDE and CITATION in both steady-state and transient reactivity analyses. A neutronic analysis of a typical small PWR core under clean and cold conditions also showed validation against reference results. Conclusions The IDEA code has shown promising figures of merit to be used for practical neutronic calculations. Moreover, a multitude of users can benefit from its further development due to ease of access and lack of proprietary restrictions.https://nstopenresearch.org/articles/3-4/v1neutron diffusion equation finite difference method PRIDE CITATION steady state and transient reactivity benchmarks.eng
spellingShingle Ubaid ur Rehman
Zahid Rasool
M. Jawad Hussain
Ali Mansoor
Farhana Kausar
Haseeb ur Rehman
Aman ur Rehman
Neutronics Analysis of Pressurized Water Reactor Cores using IDEA Code [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]
Nuclear Science and Technology Open Research
neutron diffusion equation
finite difference method
PRIDE
CITATION
steady state
and transient reactivity benchmarks.
eng
title Neutronics Analysis of Pressurized Water Reactor Cores using IDEA Code [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]
title_full Neutronics Analysis of Pressurized Water Reactor Cores using IDEA Code [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]
title_fullStr Neutronics Analysis of Pressurized Water Reactor Cores using IDEA Code [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]
title_full_unstemmed Neutronics Analysis of Pressurized Water Reactor Cores using IDEA Code [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]
title_short Neutronics Analysis of Pressurized Water Reactor Cores using IDEA Code [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]
title_sort neutronics analysis of pressurized water reactor cores using idea code version 1 peer review 2 approved
topic neutron diffusion equation
finite difference method
PRIDE
CITATION
steady state
and transient reactivity benchmarks.
eng
url https://nstopenresearch.org/articles/3-4/v1
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AT mjawadhussain neutronicsanalysisofpressurizedwaterreactorcoresusingideacodeversion1peerreview2approved
AT alimansoor neutronicsanalysisofpressurizedwaterreactorcoresusingideacodeversion1peerreview2approved
AT farhanakausar neutronicsanalysisofpressurizedwaterreactorcoresusingideacodeversion1peerreview2approved
AT haseeburrehman neutronicsanalysisofpressurizedwaterreactorcoresusingideacodeversion1peerreview2approved
AT amanurrehman neutronicsanalysisofpressurizedwaterreactorcoresusingideacodeversion1peerreview2approved