SimpleMOC - A performance abstraction for 3D MOC

• Main Authors: He, Tim (Author), Gunow, Geoffrey Alexander (Contributor), Tramm, John Robert (Contributor), Forget, Benoit Robert Yves (Contributor), Smith, Kord S. (Contributor)
• Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering (Contributor)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Nuclear Society (ANS), 2017-06-23T20:31:25Z.
• Subjects: Article
• Online Access: Get fulltext

 The method of characteristics (MOC) is a popular method for efficiently solving two-dimensional reactor problems. Extensions to three dimensions have been attempted with mitigated success bringing into question the ability of performing efficient full core three-dimensional (3D) analysis. Although the 3D problem presents many computational difficulties, some simplifications can be made that allow for more efficient computation. In this investigation, we present SimpleMOC, a "mini-app" which mimics the computational performance of a full 3D MOC solver without involving the full physics perspective, allowing for a more straightforward analysis of the computational challenges. A variety of simplifications are implemented that are intended to increase the computational feasibility, including the formation axially-quadratic neutron sources. With the addition of the quadratic approximation to the neutron source, 3D MOC is cast as a CPU-intensive method with the potential for remarkable scalability on next generation computing architectures.