FASPEC, a program to determine group constants for up to 47 groups in a fast neutron spectrum

In reactor core design, a gap exists between the manual calculation of few-group constants and the many-group calculation, by large computer programs. A method is needed by which group constants may be calculated easily and quickly. The FASPEC program is designed to reduce the amount of manual calculation and to complement the large program by reducing the number of times the large program must be run to achieve desired results.

The program calculates group constants from 940 microgroups, collapsing to any user-specified number of macrogroups up to 47. FASPEC is based on group-averaged flux calculations by a solution of the Infinite medium neutron transport equation. Flux contributions from inelastic scatter are included while those from neutron up-scatter are not. The energy spectrum considered is from 10 MeV to 0.625 eV. Required input is the atomic number density of each isotope, the number of macrogroups desired and the upper and lower microgroup numbers of each macrogroup. Input is facilitated by prompting in each case. Cross section look-up tables were provided by the Very Improved Monte Carlo code (VIM) for a mid-range Infinite hexagonal lattice. Self-shielding effects are included indirectly. A brief user's guide is provided.

Group constants calculated and stored for either terminal display or printed output are group number, lowest energy of the group, macroscopic removal cross section, macroscopic absorption cross section, diffusion coefficient, flux, macroscopic fission cross section, v, the average number of neutrons emitted per fission, and vΣ_f.