Optimized Iteration Strategies and Data Management Considerations for Fast Reactor Finite Difference Diffusion Theory Codes

Optimized iteration methods for the solution of large-scale fast reactor finite difference diffusion theory calculations are presented, along with their theoretical basis. The computational and data management considerations that went into their formulation are discussed. The methods utilized include a variant of the Chebyshev acceleration technique applied to the outer fission source iterations and an optimized block successive overrelaxation method for the within-group iterations. The performance of a computer code employing these methods is compared with that of several existing production diffusion theory codes for a range of typical problems.