Development, verification, and validation of the parallel transport code AZTRAN

• Published in: Progress in nuclear energy (New series) 2021-07, Vol.137, p.103792, Article 103792
• Main Authors: Duran-Gonzalez, Julian, del Valle-Gallegos, Edmundo, Reyes-Fuentes, Melisa, Gomez-Torres, Armando, Xolocostli-Munguia, Vicente
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3-D printers; 3-D technology; C5G7 benchmarks; Cartesian coordinates; Discrete-ordinates code; Domain decomposition methods; Neutron transport code; Neutrons; Nuclear reactors; Numerical analysis; Parallel code with domain decomposition; Studies; Transport equations
• ISSN: 0149-1970; 1878-4224
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pnucene.2021.103792

AZTRAN is a 3D parallel SN neutron transport code developed for the AZTLAN Platform project, an initiative devoted to developing a Mexican platform for analysis and design of nuclear reactors. AZTRAN solves the multi-group discrete-ordinates form of the neutron transport equation in 3D Cartesian geometry applying the nodal RTN-0 method and the domain decomposition method for its parallelization. To verify and start the validation process, the C5G7 MOX Benchmarks were used. The accuracy of the serial solver was demonstrated by comparing the numerical results of the keff and normalized pin powers with the reference solutions. Excellent agreement and good consistency were obtained, showing errors reduce as the spatial and angular discretizations refine. The parallel implementation is also demonstrated. The speed-up is significant as the number of processors increases without losing quality in the numerical results and reaching efficiencies over 80% in the 2D cases and 85% in the 3D cases. •AZTRAN is a transport parallel code based on discrete ordinates and domain decomposition.•Verification of AZTRAN code is done by means of C5G7 Benchmarks.•Very good performance of the parallelization implemented in AZTRAN is demonstrated.