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Effective methods for solution of nonlinear reactor dynamics problems using finite elements

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7337259

The solution of the nonlinear two-dimensional reactor dynamics equation subjected to prompt feedback conditions using the finite element technique leads to a matrix formulation. The task of this thesis is the development of computational techniques which allow the problem to be solved for large systems. Specifically, these techniques are: (1) the treatment of the nonlinearity on the element level, (2) the compacting of the matrices to include only non-zero terms, and (3) the construction of a new computer code based on the Crank-Nicolson formulation for the solution of differential equations. To support the theory presented, test problems were solved by the original method, the linearized technique, and the Crank-Nicolson treatment. The results were analyzed and compared graphically. All three of the innovations developed appear to be useful tools for solving nonlinear time dependent differential equations.

Research Organization:
Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA (USA)
OSTI ID:
7337259
Report Number(s):
AD-A-020058
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English