A parameter survey of a 2-D homogeneous and heterogeneous simulation of a triga reactor using agent with a reflective and vacuum boundary condition in isotropic scattering

The University of Utah TRIGA reactor (UUTR) was surveyed and simulated using a deterministic neutron transport code known as Arbitrary Geometry Neutron Transport, or AGENT. The UUTR was simulated using a homogeneous test material as well as a heterogeneous set of much more realistic cross-sections (provided by a former graduate student at the University of Utah) that are similar to the actual material used in the UUTR. The survey was done with an emphasis on a reflective boundary condition resulting in a k-infinite value, and a vacuum boundary condition resulting in a k-effective value to find the optimal Method of Characteristics (MOC) parameters. The four MOC parameters that were surveyed were the polar angle scheme and number, the number of azimuthal angles, the ray separation, and the number of edges per segment. The optimized values for these parameters were found to be 1 and 2 for the polar angle scheme and number, 36 azimuthal angles, a ray separation of 0.02 cm, and 4 edges per segment.