Coupled Multiphysics Simulations of Heat Pipe Microreactors Using DireWolf

Matthews, Christopher; Laboure, Vincent; DeHart, Mark; Hansel, Joshua; Andrs, David; Wang, Yaqi; Ortensi, Javier; Martineau, Richard C.

doi:10.1080/00295450.2021.1906474

Title: Coupled Multiphysics Simulations of Heat Pipe Microreactors Using DireWolf

Journal Article · Fri Jul 09 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · Nuclear Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2021.1906474· OSTI ID:1812664

^[1]; Laboure, Vincent ^[2]; DeHart, Mark ^[2]; Hansel, Joshua ^[2]; Andrs, David ^[2]; Wang, Yaqi ^[2];

^[2]; Martineau, Richard C. ^[3]

Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

DireWolf is a multiphysics software driver application designed to simulate heat pipe–cooled nuclear microreactors. Developed under the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program, the DireWolf software application’s objective is to provide the nuclear community with a design and safety analysis simulation capability. Based upon the NEAMS program Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) computational framework, DireWolf tightly couples nuclear microreactor physics, reactor physics, radiation transport, nuclear fuel performance, heat pipe thermal hydraulics, power generation, and structural mechanics to resolve the interdependent nonlinearities. DireWolf is capable of simulating both steady and transient normal reactor operation and several postulated failure scenarios. We will present the fundamental physics of heat pipe–cooled nuclear microreactors and the MOOSE-based software employed in DireWolf. Both steady and transient results for coupled reactor physics, radiation transport, and nuclear fuel performance are demonstrated.

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Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)

Grant/Contract Number:: 89233218CNA000001; AC07-05ID14517

OSTI ID:: 1812664

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-20-27268; TRN: US2213269

Journal Information:: Nuclear Technology, Vol. 207, Issue 7; ISSN 0029-5450

Publisher:: Taylor & Francis - formerly American Nuclear Society (ANS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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