Publications associated with our work & products
2020
Ryan, Emerald D.; Pope, Chad L.
Coupling of the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamic Code Neutrino and the Risk Analysis Virtual Environment for Particle Spacing Optimization Journal Article
In: Nuclear Technology, vol. 206, no. 10, pp. 1506-1516, 2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Neutrino, SPH
@article{doi:10.1080/00295450.2019.1704576,
title = {Coupling of the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamic Code Neutrino and the Risk Analysis Virtual Environment for Particle Spacing Optimization},
author = {Emerald D. Ryan and Chad L. Pope},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2019.1704576},
doi = {10.1080/00295450.2019.1704576},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-02-27},
urldate = {2020-02-27},
journal = {Nuclear Technology},
volume = {206},
number = {10},
pages = {1506-1516},
publisher = {Taylor & Francis},
abstract = {AbstractFlooding is a hazard for nuclear power plants (NPPs) and has caused extensive damage and economic impact. Improved NPP flooding risk characterization starts with improving scenario realism by using physics-based flooding simulations. Smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is one method for modeling fluid flow and is being investigated for NPP flooding simulation. While still in its infancy as a fluid simulation tool, SPH offers enticing features especially in three-dimensional modeling. However, when conducting SPH simulations, users must establish, inter alia, the appropriate particle spacing, which can be a tedious and time-consuming process. This paper describes the coupling of the SPH code Neutrino and the Idaho National Laboratory developed Risk Analysis Virtual Environment (RAVEN). By coupling Neutrino and RAVEN, the RAVEN optimization capabilities can now be applied to the particle spacing selection problem. A brief description of SPH, the overall capabilities of RAVEN, and the protocol used to couple the codes are provided. Additionally, the paper details a hypothetical problem and demonstrates the ability of automating the particle spacing selection and performing an example particle spacing optimization using RAVEN. With the Neutrino/RAVEN coupling established, a wide range of capabilities can now be utilized including optimization, reduced order model training and analysis, uncertainty quantification, sensitivity analysis, etc. Previously, these capabilities would require extensive work and time from the Neutrino user. Now, these capabilities are readily available and require only the creation of a RAVEN input file.},
keywords = {Neutrino, SPH},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
AbstractFlooding is a hazard for nuclear power plants (NPPs) and has caused extensive damage and economic impact. Improved NPP flooding risk characterization starts with improving scenario realism by using physics-based flooding simulations. Smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is one method for modeling fluid flow and is being investigated for NPP flooding simulation. While still in its infancy as a fluid simulation tool, SPH offers enticing features especially in three-dimensional modeling. However, when conducting SPH simulations, users must establish, inter alia, the appropriate particle spacing, which can be a tedious and time-consuming process. This paper describes the coupling of the SPH code Neutrino and the Idaho National Laboratory developed Risk Analysis Virtual Environment (RAVEN). By coupling Neutrino and RAVEN, the RAVEN optimization capabilities can now be applied to the particle spacing selection problem. A brief description of SPH, the overall capabilities of RAVEN, and the protocol used to couple the codes are provided. Additionally, the paper details a hypothetical problem and demonstrates the ability of automating the particle spacing selection and performing an example particle spacing optimization using RAVEN. With the Neutrino/RAVEN coupling established, a wide range of capabilities can now be utilized including optimization, reduced order model training and analysis, uncertainty quantification, sensitivity analysis, etc. Previously, these capabilities would require extensive work and time from the Neutrino user. Now, these capabilities are readily available and require only the creation of a RAVEN input file.
Lin, Linyu; Montanari, Niels; Prescott, Steven; Sampath, Ram; Bao, Han; Dinh, Nam
Adequacy evaluation of smoothed particle hydrodynamics methods for simulating the external-flooding scenario Journal Article
In: Nuclear Engineering and Design, vol. 365, no. C, pp. 110720, 2020, ISSN: 0029-5493.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: CSAU/EMDAP, External flooding, Neutrino, Scaling, SPH, Validation
@article{LIN2020110720b,
title = {Adequacy evaluation of smoothed particle hydrodynamics methods for simulating the external-flooding scenario},
author = {Linyu Lin and Niels Montanari and Steven Prescott and Ram Sampath and Han Bao and Nam Dinh},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1633490},
doi = {10.1016/j.nucengdes.2020.110720},
issn = {0029-5493},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-01},
urldate = {2020-01-01},
journal = {Nuclear Engineering and Design},
volume = {365},
number = {C},
pages = {110720},
abstract = {In modern nuclear risk analysis for external-flooding scenarios, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools are used to simulate the generation, propagation, and interactions of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) with the nuclear Systems, Structures, and Components (SSCs). Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), as a Lagrangian and mesh-free method, is one of the particle-based CFD methods. Since SPH methods can effectively handling large-scale fluid simulations with complex interfacial structures, SPH-based software has been used to simulate the impacts of external flood onto nuclear facilities, and the simulation results have been used to support nuclear safety analysis. However, previous risk analysis assumes that SPH methods and the corresponding simulation packages are applicable to the external-hazards risk analysis, and their simulation uncertainties do not affect the confidence of safety decision. Considering the high consequences to nuclear safety induced by simulation errors, a systematic and complete validation process is needed to evaluate the adequacy of SPH simulations in informing related safety decisions. In this study, a scoping-stage assessment is performed for SPH’s adequacy in simulating the real-scale external flooding scenarios, especially in predicting the surface-wave impacts on SSCs at NPP sites. To ensure the completeness and consistency, validation frameworks, Code Scalability Applicability and Uncertainty (CSAU), and its regulatory guide, Evaluation Model Development and Assessment Process (EMDAP) are followed to guide validation activities and to make final code adequacy assessment. First, an external-flooding scenario is designed, and SPH simulations are performed with an SPH-based software named Neutrino. A Phenomenon Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) is created, and the surface-wave impacts are identified as one of the high-rank phenomena. At the same time, a performance measurement standard is created for measuring the code adequacy in informing safety decisions consistently and transparently. Next, numerical benchmarks are designed for assessing the code adequacy of SPH methods and corresponding software implementations on Neutrino. Next, code accuracy is evaluated by comparing simulation results from Neutrino against experimental measurements in each benchmark. Meanwhile, a scaling analysis is performed to determine a group of dimensionless number for characterizing important physics and to assess the applicability of validation database collected in reduced-scale facility to the prototypic scenario. Finally, results from all activities are brought together to make an adequacy decision. It is found that, based on the current evidence, SPH methods and associated Neutrino software can predict the unbroken surface-wave peak pressure onto stationary rigid with reasonable accuracy if the suggested sizes of particles are used. However, it is suggested by independent reviews that the validity of major assumptions in target applications need to be evaluated with large-scale experiments, and the relevancy of other phenomena like turbulence and air pockets need to be identified with more benchmarks. As for the SPH’s adequacy in predicting the impact forces on dynamic rigid, the available evidence is not sufficient to support the decisions.},
keywords = {CSAU/EMDAP, External flooding, Neutrino, Scaling, SPH, Validation},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In modern nuclear risk analysis for external-flooding scenarios, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools are used to simulate the generation, propagation, and interactions of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) with the nuclear Systems, Structures, and Components (SSCs). Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), as a Lagrangian and mesh-free method, is one of the particle-based CFD methods. Since SPH methods can effectively handling large-scale fluid simulations with complex interfacial structures, SPH-based software has been used to simulate the impacts of external flood onto nuclear facilities, and the simulation results have been used to support nuclear safety analysis. However, previous risk analysis assumes that SPH methods and the corresponding simulation packages are applicable to the external-hazards risk analysis, and their simulation uncertainties do not affect the confidence of safety decision. Considering the high consequences to nuclear safety induced by simulation errors, a systematic and complete validation process is needed to evaluate the adequacy of SPH simulations in informing related safety decisions. In this study, a scoping-stage assessment is performed for SPH’s adequacy in simulating the real-scale external flooding scenarios, especially in predicting the surface-wave impacts on SSCs at NPP sites. To ensure the completeness and consistency, validation frameworks, Code Scalability Applicability and Uncertainty (CSAU), and its regulatory guide, Evaluation Model Development and Assessment Process (EMDAP) are followed to guide validation activities and to make final code adequacy assessment. First, an external-flooding scenario is designed, and SPH simulations are performed with an SPH-based software named Neutrino. A Phenomenon Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) is created, and the surface-wave impacts are identified as one of the high-rank phenomena. At the same time, a performance measurement standard is created for measuring the code adequacy in informing safety decisions consistently and transparently. Next, numerical benchmarks are designed for assessing the code adequacy of SPH methods and corresponding software implementations on Neutrino. Next, code accuracy is evaluated by comparing simulation results from Neutrino against experimental measurements in each benchmark. Meanwhile, a scaling analysis is performed to determine a group of dimensionless number for characterizing important physics and to assess the applicability of validation database collected in reduced-scale facility to the prototypic scenario. Finally, results from all activities are brought together to make an adequacy decision. It is found that, based on the current evidence, SPH methods and associated Neutrino software can predict the unbroken surface-wave peak pressure onto stationary rigid with reasonable accuracy if the suggested sizes of particles are used. However, it is suggested by independent reviews that the validity of major assumptions in target applications need to be evaluated with large-scale experiments, and the relevancy of other phenomena like turbulence and air pockets need to be identified with more benchmarks. As for the SPH’s adequacy in predicting the impact forces on dynamic rigid, the available evidence is not sufficient to support the decisions.