• Introduction
  • This Project focuses on developing numerical computing methods to solve the Linear Boltzmann Transport Equation (LBTE), an equation too complicated to be solved without computers.
  • LBTE represents the transport of neutrons within a nuclear reactor. Solving this problem reveals the neutron flux, criticality, and power of a nuclear reactor.
  • Developing these codes are necessary to establish an efficient way of optimizing nuclear reactor design and analysis procedure.
• Projects
  • Team members focus on solving the LBTE with efficient and accurate numerical schemes encompassing linear algebra, iterative methods, and differential equations.
  • Projects include:
    • Design and develop a code framework that is capable of solving the LBTE in 1-D and 2-D geometries
    • Develop various spatial, energy, and angular discretization approaches
    • Implement multiple transport acceleration schemes in the framework to improve the code performance efficiency
• VIP Team
  • The VIP team is comprised of passionate, industrious, and solution-oriented undergraduate students.
  • Although the project is challenging, unexperienced students are encouraged to participate and learn the necessary skills along the way.
  • Students are trained in computational methods and physics-based coding; they acquire the understanding and toolset to solve realistic nuclear reactor problems.
• VIP Publications
  • C. Bales and Z. Wu, “Point Kinetic Behavior of Molten Salt Reactors Using Delayed Differential Equation Solver in MATLAB,” the ANS Student Conference, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, April 3-5 (2025). (Paper)(Poster)
  • W. Strom, M. Elhareef, and Z. Wu, “Importance Sampling Methods to Accelerate PINN Calculations for k-Eigenvalue Neutron Diffusion Problems,” the ANS Student Conference, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, April 13-15 (2023). (Paper) (Poster)
  • R. Kelley and Z. Wu, “On the Effect of the Diffusion Coefficient Treatment in Finite Difference Schemes of Diffusion Equation,” ANS Student Conference, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, April 4-6 (2019). (Paper) (Presentation)
  • A. English and Z. Wu, “A Semi-Analytic Solution to the 1D SN Transport Equation for a Multi-Region Problem,” ANS Student Conference, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, April 4-6 (2019). (Paper) (Presentation)
  • A. English and Z. Wu, “A Semi-Analytic Solution on The 1D S_N Transport Equation by Decoupling the In-scattering Operator,” _Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Physics and Technology of Reactors and Applications (PHYTRA-4), Marrakech, Morocco, September 17-19 (2018). (Paper) (Presentation)