CAD-Based Neutronics

3-D ARIES-CS Model

3-D ITER Model

Back view of 3-D model of ITER Blanket Module 01

3-D ARIES-ACT Model

3-D ST-FNSF Model

Three-dimensional Monte Carlo radiation transport codes (such as MCNP) are extensively used for nuclear applications. During the last decade and continuing to the present, the UW neutronics team has overcome a major limitation in Monte Carlo-based transport, allowing fully accurate 3-D modeling of any complex devices by integrating the CAD geometry directly with the MCNP code. This approach enables replacing the surfaces that define any complex 3-D geometry with a more precise CAD representation. The first-ever 3-D CAD-MCNP results were reported for the ARIES Compact Stellarator, which uses a very complex plasma shape and surrounding regions. This calculation would have never been possible for any stellarator device modeled with MCNP alone.

A suite of computer codes and nuclear data library is being utilized to perform neutronic analyses for ARIES, ITER, FNSF and other US fusion studies:

CUBIT is a solid modeling and mesh generation software toolkit developed and released by Sandia National Laboratories. It offers the ability to create and prepare the 3-D model needed for the CAD-based radiation transport analysis, assign materials and densities to all components, define boundary conditions, and tally the results
The DAGMC (Directly Accelerated Geometry Monte Carlo) code is a software tool developed by the UW Computational Nuclear Engineering Research Group (CNERG) to perform Monte Carlo radiation transport on complex 3-D geometries created by solid modeling software. DAGMC converts any complex 3-D geometry into a faceted geometry of tetrahedrons and couples it to the radiation transport code MCNP5 and its FENDL continuous pointwise cross section data library. Performing radiation transport using a model created and prepared by CUBIT requires that the user create only a portion of the data cards associated with a typical MCNP input file.

This unique technology offers new capabilities to the national and international fusion community as it helps preserve all geometrically complex design elements and speed up feedback and iterations to quickly converge on an acceptable configuration that satisfies the specific design goal, mission, and requirements.

Publications

UWFDM-1399 ITER Neutronics Modeling Using Hybrid Monte Carlo Deterministic and CAD-Based Monte Carlo Methods; A.M. Ibrahim, S.W. Mosher, T.M. Evans, D.E. Peplow, M.E. Sawan, P.P.H. Wilson, J.C. Wagner, T. Heltemes, July 2011 [published in Nuclear Technology Vol. 175 (July 2011) 251--258].

Recent Advances in Development of Fusion Neutronics Predictive Capabilities; M.E. Sawan, P. Wilson, L. El-Guebaly, D. Henderson, T. Bohm, B. Smith, A. Ibrahim, May 2011 [presented at the 15th International Conference on Emerging Nuclear Energy Systems (ICENES2011), 15-19 May 2011, San Francisco CA]. (33 pages, 3.6 MB)

UWFDM-1391 Robust Tracking and Advanced Geometry for Monte Carlo Radiation Transport; Brandon M. Smith, March 2011 [Ph.D. thesis]. (147 pages, 6.2 MB)

Robust Tracking and Advanced Geometry for Monte Carlo Radiation Transport; B.M. Smith, March 2011 [Ph.D. thesis slides]. (59 pages, 8.7 MB)

UWFDM-1390 Modeling Impact-Induced Reactivity Changes Using DAG-MCNP; B.M. Smith, P.P.H. Wilson, February 2011 [Proceedings of Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, February 7-11, 2011, Albuquerque NM]. (10 pages, 1.4 MB)

Modeling Impact-Induced Reactivity Changes Using DAG-MCNP; B.M. Smith, P.P.H. Wilson, February 2011 [Proceedings of Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space, February 7-11, 2011, Albuquerque NM]. (19 pages, 341 kB)

Status of Fusion Neutronics Predictive Capabilities; M.E. Sawan, P. Wilson, L. El-Guebaly, D. Henderson, T. Bohm, B. Smith, A. Ibrahim, November 2010 [presented at the 19th ANS Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy, November 7-11, 2010, Las Vegas NV.]. (26 pages, 2.6 MB)

UWFDM-1389 Sealing Faceted Surfaces to Achieve Watertight CAD Models; B.M. Smith, T.J. Tautges, P.P.H. Wilson, October 2010 [Proceedings of the 19th International Meshing Roundtable, October 3-6, 2010, Chattanooga TN]. (20 pages, 1.2 MB)

Sealing Faceted Surfaces to Achieve Watertight CAD Models; B.M. Smith, T.J. Tautges, P.P.H. Wilson, October 2010 [Proceedings of the 19th International Meshing Roundtable, 3-6 October 2010, Chattanooga TN]. (32 pages, 2.5 MB)

ITER Neutronics Modeling Using Hybrid Monte Carlo/Deterministic Techniques and CAD Based Monte Carlo; A.M. Ibrahim, S.W. Mosher, T.M. Evans, D.E. Peplow, M.E. Sawan, P.P.H. Wilson, J.C. Wagner, April 2010 [presented at the American Nuclear Society Radiation Protection and Shielding Division Topical Meeting, 19 April 2010, Las Vegas, NV]. (23 pages, 1.8 MB)

Acceleration Techniques for the Direct Use of CAD-Based Geometry in Fusion Neutronics Analysis; P.P.H. Wilson, T.J. Tautges, J.A. Kraftcheck, B.M. Smith, D.L. Henderson, October 2009 [presented at the 9th International Symposium on Fusion Nuclear Technology (ISFNT-9), 11-16 October 2009, Dalian, China]. (29 pages, 1.4 MB)

Direct Coupling of 3-D Neutronics with CAD Models Applied to Fusion Systems; M.E. Sawan, P.P.H. Wilson, T. Tautges, L. El-Guebaly, D. Henderson, T. Bohm, B. Kiedrowski, A. Ibrahim, B. Smith, R. Slaybaugh, September 2009 [presented at the 18th Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (TOFE-2008), 28 September-2 October 2008, San Francisco CA]. (36 pages, 3.0 MB)

UWFDM-1363 Application of CAD-Neutronics Coupling to Geometrically Complex Fusion Systems; M.E. Sawan, P.P.H. Wilson, T. Tautges, L.A. El-Guebaly, D.L. Henderson, T.D. Bohm, E.P. Marriott, B. Kiedrowski, B. Smith, A. Ibrahim, R. Slaybaugh, May 2009 [prepared for the 23rd Symposium on Fusion Engineering (SOFE), May 31-June 5, 2009, San Diego CA]. (8 pages, 2.8 MB)

Application of CAD Neutronics Coupling to Geometrically Complex Fusion Systems; M.E. Sawan, P. Wilson, T. Tautges, L. El-Guebaly, D. Henderson, T. Bohm, E. Marriott, B. Kiedrowski, B. Smith, A. Ibrahim, R. Slaybaugh, May 2009 [presented at the 23rd Symposium on Fusion Engineering (SOFE-2009), 31 May-5 June 2009, San Diego CA]. (38 pages, 3.0 MB)

Neutronics as Part of an Integrated Modeling Approach--A CAD-Based Domain Representation; Paul P.H. Wilson, August 2008 [presented at the Fusion Nuclear Science and Technology (FNST) meeting, 12-14 August 2008, UCLA, Los Angeles CA]. (22 pages, 3.5 MB)

UWFDM-1302 Analysis of Engineering Issues Facing the In-Zinerator Z-Pinch Fusion Device Using MCNP; R. Grady, P. Phruksarojanakun, P.P.H. Wilson, L.A. El-Guebaly, B. Cipiti, August 2007. (20 pages, 1.1 MB)

Innovative 3-D Neutronics Analyses Directly Coupled with CAD Models of Geometrically Complex Fusion Systems; M. Sawan, P. Wilson, T. Tautges, L. El-Guebaly, D. Henderson, T. Bohm, G. Sviatoslavsky, B. Kiedrowski, A. Ibrahim, B. Smith, R. Slaybaugh, June 2007 [presented at the 13th International Conference on Emerging Nuclear Energy Systems, ICENES2007, 3-8 June 2007, Istanbul, Turkey]. (24 pages, 5.7 MB)

Innovations in 3-D Neutronics Analysis for Fusion Energy Systems; P.P.H. Wilson, March 2007 [presented at the U.W. Plasma Seminar]. (31 pages, 1.5 MB)

Three-Dimensional Neutronics Analysis of ARIES-CS Using CAD-Based Tools; P. Wilson, B. Kiedrowski, L. El-Guebaly, G. Sviatoslavsky, J. Lyon, X. Wang, R. Slaybaugh, A. Ibrahim, and the ARIES Team, November 2006 [presented at the 17th ANS Topical Meeting on Fusion Energy, 13-15 November 2006, Albuquerque NM]. (21 pages, 609 kB)

3-D Source, Neutron Wall Loading and Radiative Heating for ARIES-CS; P. Wilson, B. Kiedrowski, L.A. El-Guebaly, October 2006 [presented at the ARIES Project Meeting and Review, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton NJ, 4-5 October 2006]. (26 pages, 1.5 MB)

UWFDM-1353 CAD Based Monte Carlo Method: Algorithms for Geometric Evaluation in Support of Monte Carlo Radiation Transport Calculation; Mengkuo Wang, August 2006 [Ph.D. thesis]. (151 pages, 2.1 MB)

Status of CAD/MCNP Status of CAD/MCNP; Paul Wilson, April 2006 [presented at the ARIES-CS Project Meeting, 27-28 April 2006, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI]. (25 pages, 1.7 MB)

MCNP/CAD Activities and Preliminary 3-D Results; M. Wang, T. Tautges, D. Henderson, and L. El-Guebaly, June 2005 [presented at the ARIES-CS Project Meeting, 14-15 June 2005, Madison WI]. (20 pages, 1.7 MB)

CAD-Based Monte Carlo Transport Using MCNPX and CGM; T.J. Tautges, M.K. Wang, and D.L. Henderson, November 2004 [Transactions of 2004 ANS Winter Meeting, Washington, DC].

UWFDM-1253 Three-Dimensional Modeling of Complex Fusion Devices Using CAD-MCNPX Interface; Mengkuo Wang, Douglass L. Henderson, Timothy J. Tautges, Laila El-Guebaly, Xueren Wang, September 2004 [Proceedings 16th ANS Topical Meeting on Fusion Energy, Fusion Science and Technology 47 (4), May 2005, pp. 1079-1083]. (8 pages, 935 kB)

Neutron Wall Loading Profile Using CAD/MCNP Interface; M. Wang, D.L. Henderson, T.J. Tautges, L.A. El-Guebaly, X. Wang, September 2004 [presented at the 16th ANS Topical Meeting on Fusion Energy, 14-16 September 2004, Madison WI]. (1 page, 646 kB)

Neutron Wall Loading Profile Using CAD/MCNP Interface; M. Wang, June 2004 [presented at the ARIES-CS Project Meeting, 16-17 June 2004, Madison WI]. (17 pages, 669 kB)

CAD-Based Monte Carlo Transport; Mengkuo Wang, T.J. Tautges, D.L. Henderson, April 8, 2003 [FTI Tuesday meeting]. (19 pages, 333 kB)

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Fusion Technology Institute

CAD-Based Neutronics

Publications