Nuclear Science and Engineering / Volume 38 / Number 3 / December 1969 / Pages 229-243
Technical Paper / dx.doi.org/10.13182/NSE69-A21157
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The problem of optimally controlling xenon spatial oscillations is formulated as a problem in the calculus of variations for distributed parameter systems. The resulting partial differential equations (space- and time-dependent) are then approximated by a nodal representation to obtain a set of ordinary differential equations (time-dependent) with mixed (initial and final) boundary conditions. An iterative solution scheme, which utilizes a quasilinearization of the equations and a transformation matrix relating initial to final values of certain variables, is employed to obtain numerical results. Feasibility of the method is established by several sample calculations. A physical interpretation is given the Lagrange multiplier functions which initially are introduced for mathematical considerations.