Application of Variational Synthesis to the Optimal Control of Spatially Dependent Reactor Models

The methods of variational synthesis, which are derived from the direct method of the calculus of variations, are applied to the problem of computing the optimal control for spatially dependent reactor models. By this means, the optimal control problem is reduced to the solution of coupled algebraic equations. A general formalism is developed which is specialized to the case of one-group neutron diffusion theory, with and without delayed neutrons, and with thermal feedback.