Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS)Status and Perspectives

Bradley T. Rearden, Ph.D.Leader, NEAMS Integration Product Line

Leader, Modeling and Simulation Integration, ORNLManager, SCALE Code System

Workshop on Multi-physics Model ValidationNorth Carolina State University | Department of Nuclear Engineering

June 27-29, 2017

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A number of private U.S. companies are pursuing conceptual and technological development of advanced reactors

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Fuel vendors and utilities are investigating accident tolerant fuels (ATF)

ATF concepts must meet existing needs for plants and improve performance during accident scenariosConstraints:

Preserve satisfactory performance during normal operation (NO), anticipated operational occurrences (AOOs), design basis accidents (DBAs)

Maintain compatibility with existing infrastructure

Goals: Increase coping time Decrease heat/hydrogen generation

rates/extent Enhance fission product retention

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15

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Perf

orm

ance

Impr

ovem

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Time to Deployment

CladdingCoatings

Thin-walled high strength steel alloy cladding

High Performance

UO2

FeCrAlalloys

Molybdenum Claddings

High Density Fuel(U2Si3, UN, etc.)

Ceramic Claddings

SiC

High Fission Product

Retention Fuel

FCM fuelNear Term Technologies

Mid-Term Technologies

GEN 2 GEN 3 and 3+

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GAIN: Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear

DOE initiative to better enable innovation in nuclearenergy deployment Announced in Nov 2015 Objective: enable innovation by offering improved private-sector access to DOE facilities and

labs and provide a single channel for communicationSupported by labs & industrySupport mechanisms:

Experimental capabilities with primary emphasis on nuclear and radiological facilities but also including other testing capabilities (e.g., thermal-hydraulic loops, control systems testing, etc.).

Computational capabilities along with state-of-the-art modeling and simulation tools. Information and data through a knowledge and validation center. Intellectual capabilities (e.g., project management, economic analysis, technology road

mapping, seismic analysis, regulatory planning, etc.). Land use and site information for demonstration facilities.

INL/MIS-16-40081

gain.inl.gov

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NEAMS (Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation) Program

Aim: Develop, apply, deploy, and support a predictive modeling and simulation toolkit for the design and analysis of current and future nuclear energy systems using computing architectures from laptops to leadership class facilities.

Fuels Product Line

Reactor Product Line

Integration Product Line

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Fuels Product Line

Empirical models can accurately interpolate between data, but cannot accurately extrapolate outside of test bounds

Goal: Develop improved, mechanistic, and predictive models for fuel performance using hierarchical, multiscale modeling - applied to existing, advanced (including accident tolerant) and used fuel including LWR, TRISO and metallic fuels in 2D, 3D for steady-state and transient reactor operations

Atomistic simulations Meso-scale modelsEngineering scale fuel performance

Atomistically-informed

parameters Degrees of freedom, operating conditions

Identify important mechanisms Determine material parameter

values Predict fuel performance and failure probability

Predict microstructure evolution Determine effect of evolution on

material properties

Mesoscale-informed materials models

BISONMARMOT

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Reactors Product Line: Sharp

Develops and deploys high-fidelity, coupled-physics simulation capability for advanced reactors using the Sharp code suite, which consists of:

Nek5000 Thermal-Hydraulics Highly-scalable solvers for multi-dimensional heat transfer and fluid dynamics

PROTEUS NeutronicsCan be used to analyze a fast reactors entire fuel cycle, including cross section generation, radiation transport and fuel cycle modeling

DIABLO Structural Dynamics 3-D thermal-structural and thermal mechanics analysis using a time implicit Finite Element Method (FEM)

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Integration Product Line (IPL)

NEAMS Fuels Product Line (FPL) and Reactors Product Line (RPL) provide many advanced tools, but they often require large computational resources, can be difficult to install, and require expert knowledge to operate, causing many analysts to continue to use traditional tools instead of exploring high-fidelity simulations.

Goal: Respond to needs of design and analysis communities by integrating robust multiphysicscapabilities and current production tools in easy-to-use versioned deployments that enable end users to apply high-fidelity simulations to inform lower-order models for the design, analysis, and licensing of advanced nuclear systems.

BISONFuel Performance

PROTEUS Neutronics

DIABLOStructural Mechanics

NEK5000Thermal-hydraulics

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National Technical DirectorChris Stanek (LANL)

Fuels Steve Hayes (INL) Bison Marmot Focus Problems

Reactors Tanju Sofu (ANL) SHARP(Nek5000, Diablo, et al) SAM Focus Problems

IntegrationBrad Rearden (ORNL) NEAMSWorkbench Deployment

Cross-Cutting Capabilities

Operations Support

University Programs

Small Business Innovation Research

User Groups

International Collaborations

Accident Tolerant FuelsJason Hales (INL)

Steam Generator FIV Elia Merzari (ANL)

TREAT M&SMark DeHart (INL)

High Impact Problems

NE Mission Support

NEAMS Mission Areas

Investments

Product Lines

Quality Assurance

Uncertainty Quantification

Focus Problems

Benchmark Handbooks

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NEAMS WorkbenchTool Integration for Advanced Nuclear Systems Analysis

User Interface: Input Generation, Job Launch, Output Review, Visualization

System Templates and Workflow Manager

Cross Section

Preparation

SCALE / XSProc

MC2-3

Neutronics

DIF3D

PARCS

MPact

Proteus

MCNP

Shift

Depletion / Source Terms

REBUS

ORIGEN 2.2

ORIGEN

Thermal Hydraulics /

Plant SystemsSAS4A / SASSYS

SE2-ANL

RELAP-5

TRACE

SAM

RELAP-7

NEK5000

Fuel Performance

LIFE-METAL

PARFUME

BISON

MARMOT

Structural Analysis

NUBOW

DIABLO

Uncertainty Quantification

PERSENT

Sampler

Dakota

Production Tools

NEAMS

CASL

Other

Workflow Manager Guides Physicsand Data Exchanges

Use

r Sel

ects

Des

ired

Fide

lity

of P

hysi

cs

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Templated Common Input for Use with Many Codes

Similar to CASL VERA-IN concept;Leverages Template Engine used for

UNF-ST&DARDS and SCALE

Engineering-style problem specific input

(type of system, materials, dimensions, timesteps, etc)

Template Engine Expansion

Input for Code C

Input for Code B

Input for Code A

Database of supported system configurations

Known systems and customizable features

Input requirements and options for each code

Code and problem specific information (mesh geometry, etc.)

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Approach to ARC/Workbench Integration

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NEAMS Workbench Integrated Environment

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Perspectives on Validation

Use of predictive modeling and simulation tools and data requires defensible validation of design calculations with relevant experiments

Applicability of available experiments to design calculations should be quantified

Uncertainties and correlations in calculations and experiments should be quantified to determine significance and establish independence

Validation needs and gaps for specific applications should to be quantified to determine potential impact on design calculations and to prioritize experimental needs

New integrated effects, separate effects, and differential experiments will be required to support design and licensing of new systems

Many mathematical frameworks and experimental databases exist; leverage existing tools and invest in new approaches only where a deficiency is identified

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FY16 Statistics:

12 week-long courses

1 conference tutorial

150 participants from 15 nations

SCALE Code SystemNeutronics and Shielding Analysis Enabling Nuclear Technology Advancementshttp://scale.ornl.gov

Professional Training for Practicing Engineers and Regulators

Practical Tools Relied Upon for Operations and Regulation Global Distribution: 8000 Users in 56 Nations

Robust Quality Assurance Program Based on Multiple Standards

Reactor Physics

Radiation Shielding

Criticality Safety

Verification & Validation

Hybrid Methods

Nuclear Data

Sensitivity & Uncertainty

User Interfaces

Primary Sponsors

TOC-README

Pages of data come first on pages with yellow tabs. The order is K5 HMF, HST, IMF, LCT, LST, MCT, MCF, PMF, PST then K6 HMF, IMF and

MCT. All of the data pages are organized the same way. From left to right there are case names, expected keff and its uncertainty,

then calculated keffs and uncertainties for 6.1 238-group, 6.1 CE, 6.2 238-group, 6.2 252-group, and 6.2 CE. The next ten columns

contain the C/E ratio