1. NAME AND TITLE

RICANT: A Computer Code for 2-D Transport Calculations in x-y Geometry Using the Interface Current Method.

2. CONTRIBUTOR

Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research, India, through the NEA Data Bank, France.

3. CODING LANGUAGE AND COMPUTER

Fortran IV; VAX 8810.

4. NATURE OF PROBLEM SOLVED

RICANT performs 2-dimensional neutron transport calculations in x-y geometry using the interface current method. In the interface current method, the angular neutron currents crossing region surfaces are expanded in terms of the Legendre polynomials in the two half-spaces made by the region surfaces.

5. METHOD OF SOLUTION

The integral form of the neutron transport equation is solved by the interface current method. The region of interest is divided into small regions with constant material properties. The regions are connected by neutron currents crossing the interfaces. The outgoing current in one region is the incoming current in the adjacent region. The region sizes have to be very small so that spatial dependence can be ignored. Associated Legendre polynomials are used to represent the angular dependence of the fluxes. The weighted residual method is used to find the expansion coefficients of the angular fluxes. Making use of the superposition principle of neutron currents, inner iterations are performed over current components. Outer iterations are performed over groups.

6. RESTRICTIONS OR LIMITATIONS

The total number of angular flux expansion terms is limited to 10.

7. TYPICAL RUNNING TIME

The sample input was tested on the VAX 8810 at NEA Data Bank. It took 3 minutes of CPU time.

8. COMPUTER HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

RICANT runs on the VAX 8810.

9. COMPUTER SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

The code was written in Fortran IV. On the VAX 8810, the compiler used was VAX Fortran under the VMS version 5.1 operating system.

10. REFERENCE

a. Included in the documentation:

P. Mohanakrishnan, "A Guide to the Use of Computer Code -- RICANT," RG/RPD-311, (December 1987).

b. Background information:

P. Mohanakrishnan, "Choice of Angular Current Approximations for Solving Neutron Transport Problems in 2-D by Interface Current Approach," Ann. Nucl. Energy, Vol. 9, pp. 261-274, 1982, Great Britain.

11. CONTENTS OF CODE PACKAGE

Included are the referenced document and one DS/DD (360 K) 5.25-inch diskette.

12. DATE OF ABSTRACT

December 1990.