Engineering topics

Novak, April

Publications and source records attributed to Novak, April.

6 records

DOE OSTI2024

Development of The DOME Shield Model For The NRIC Virtual Test Bed

As several advanced reactor concepts are maturing, test beds are needed to accelerate the demonstration and deployment of these advanced nuclear technologies. The National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) is building new or enhancing existing US Department of Energy infrastructure to support testing of components and systems. Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) will utilize the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) dome containment structure to host reactor demonstrations. A reactor supplemental shielding is needed so that DOME dose requirements are met. To accelerate the confirmatory analysis required for the reactor demonstration, the NRIC Virtual Test Bed (VTB) is developing a virtual model of the DOME shield that will be made available on the VTB public repository. This will allow developers to leverage advanced modeling and simulation tools to ensure their reactor demonstration concept will meet dose requirement and the limit concrete temperature in the shield during steady state and transient operation conditions. This paper presents the model developed for the DOME shield using open-source tools: MOOSE heat transfer module, Monte Carlo code OpenMC, and Cardinal to calculate the DOME shield temperature distribution during steady state

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Investigation of CAD-based Geometry Workflows for Multiphysics Fusion Problems Using OpenMC and MOOSE

Fusion system designs are complex and require intricate and accurate meshes to be properly modeled. In this study, we investigate the use of CAD-based geometry workflows in fusion systems multiphysics problems. A simplified tokamak was introduced and modeled in CAD using a multiphysics coupling of OpenMC Monte Carlo transport and MOOSE heat conduction. The meshed geometry was prepared using direct accelerated geometry Monte Carlo (DAGMC) for particle transport, and a volumetric mesh was also prepared to be used in MOOSE and to tally OpenMC results. Cardinal was used to run OpenMC Monte Carlo particle transport within MOOSE framework. The heat source distribution and tritium production were calculated in OpenMC. The data transfer system was used to transfer heat source and temperature distribution between OpenMC and MOOSE. Two computational studies related to mesh refinement were performed: (1) refining the DAGMC and volumetric meshes used for tallying results and solving heat conduction and (2) only refining the DAGMC particle transport mesh. The refinement of the tally mesh has a much larger effect on the runtime compared to the refinement of the DAGMC particle transport surface mesh.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

The MOOSE fluid properties module

The Fluid Properties module within the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) is used to compute fluid properties for numerous applications, ranging from nuclear reactor thermal hydraulics to geothermal energy. Those applications drove the development of the module to enable numerous different fluid equations of states, property lookups with primitive and conserved flow variable to cater to pressure and density-driven solvers, and an object-oriented design facilitating expansion and maintenance. Each fluid property is implemented in its own class but inherits capabilities such as automatic differentiation, automated out-of-bounds handling or variable conversion capabilities. Here, this paper presents the module, its design, its user and developer interface, its content in terms of fluids and properties, and several of its applications showing its major role in the MOOSE simulation ecosystem.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

DOE OSTI2024

New Developments of FENIX Capabilities for Fusion Neutronics Calculations

This presentation summarizes internship work to support new developments of FENIX Capabilities for fusion neutronics calculations. Two coupled multiphysics models are demonstrated for a tokamak model and monoblock divertor model. Results show heating results, temperature distributions, tritium production and transport. A new feature was added to allow coupling OpenMC models with thermomechanics models and was verified.

99 - GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2024

FENIX: Towards a Fully Integrated Multiphysics Framework for Plasma Facing Component Modeling

Computational tools have a crucial role to play in accelerating the deployment of fusion as a clean, reliable, abundant, and sustainable energy source. Multiphysics, high-fidelity simulation capabilities can help model, study, and predict intricate interactions between materials performance, plasma exposure, neutron irradiation, and engineering processes. As such, they can assist in the resolution of scientific and engineering challenges underpinning design, construction, and commission of fusion power plants. To address these needs, ongoing efforts are leveraging the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) framework and delivering new computational tools for the fusion community. These tools inherit crucial attributes from MOOSE. They are open-source, modular, integrated with nuclear industry-standard software quality assurance processes, and enable multiphysics, multi-fidelity, fully integrated, zero- to three-dimensional, and massively parallel simulations. After a short overview of these capabilities, we will present the development of Fusion ENergy Integrated multiphys-X (FENIX), a MOOSE-based application designed to enable plasma facing component design and performance evaluation. Throughout their lifetime, plasma facing components are exposed to extreme thermal loads, repeated thermal shocks, and irradiation by plasma ions, neutral particles, and high-energy neutrons. Consequently, designing a plasma facing component with acceptable lifetime degradation is extremely challenging. FENIX aims to model the multiphysics environment in which plasma facing components evolve to accelerate their design studies. To that end, FENIX couples existing MOOSE capabilities such as heat transfer, thermomechanics, and thermal hydraulics, with tritium transport via the MOOSE-based Tritium Migration Analysis Program, Version 8 (TMAP8), with neutronics via the MOOSE-based high-fidelity neutron-photon transport and fluid dynamics code Cardinal, and finally with Particle-in-Cell plasma simulation capabilities being developed in this project. In this study, we present the current FENIX capabilities and preliminary results of its application to model the Tritium Plasma Experiment set up at Idaho National Laboratory.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

FENIX: An Open-Source Multiphysics Integrated Framework Enabling Collaborative Development of Plasma Facing Component Modeling Capabilities

Advanced modeling and simulation tools have a crucial role to play in accelerating fusion energy deployment as a sustainable power source. Multiphysics, high-fidelity computational tools can help understand, model, and quantify the complex interactions between materials performance, plasma and neutron exposure, and engineering processes. As a result, they accelerate the design, safety analysis, and performance evaluation of fusion systems. This webinar introduces the Fusion ENergy Integrated multiphys-X (FENIX) framework, an open-source multiphysics tool for plasma facing component modeling. FENIX leverages the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) framework, which has been developed by the United States Department of Energy Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program. FENIX couples various MOOSE capabilities such as heat transfer, thermomechanics, thermal hydraulics, electromagnetics, and plasma kinetics with the MOOSE-based applications Cardinal (neutronics) and TMAP8 (tritium transport). During the webinar, we will present FENIX and discuss how its modularity, openness, software quality assurance processes, and licensing approach supports effective collaborations, including public-private partnerships.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗