A Conformal mapped nodal SP3 method for hexagonal core analysis

Conformal mapped nodal simplified P3 equations are derived and implemented for the two-dimensional neutronics analysis of fast reactor cores where hexagonal assemblies are loaded. The one-dimensional simplified P3 equations are solved by using the nodal expansion method. The partial currents response matrices are constructed for the coupled simplified P3 equations by applying the relationship between the partial currents and the surface-averaged fluxes. These matrices are then solved non-linearly.This method has been demonstrated for three two-dimensional fast reactor problems, and it was observed that the conformal mapped nodal simplified P3 method can be effectively applied for the neutronics analysis of fast reactors with a substantial improvement in computational accuracy over the diffusion method.