The AMP (Advanced MultiPhysics) Nuclear Fuel Performance code

• Published in: Nuclear engineering and design 2012-11, Vol.252 (1), p.108-120
• Main Authors: Clarno, Kevin T., Philip, Bobby, Cochran, William K., Sampath, Rahul S., Allu, Srikanth, Barai, Pallab, Simunovic, Srdjan, Berrill, Mark A., Ott, Larry J., Pannala, Sreekanth, Dilts, Gary A., Mihaila, Bogdan, Yesilyurt, Gokhan, Lee, Jung Ho, Banfield, James E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Computer programs; Controled nuclear fusion plants; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; Fission nuclear power plants; Fuels; Installations for energy generation and conversion: thermal and electrical energy; Mathematical models; Nuclear engineering; Nuclear fuels; Nuclear reactor components; Nuclear reactors; Preparation and processing of nuclear fuels; Three dimensional
• ISSN: 0029-5493; 1872-759X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nucengdes.2012.07.018

► New, three-dimensional, parallel, multi-physics code to simulate fuel behavior in nominal operation. ► Fully-coupled thermomechanics for nominal operation and operation during transients. ► Isotopic depletion using Scale/ORIGEN-S within a fuel performance code. ► Leveraging of existing, validated material models from existing fuel performance codes. ► Initial validation evaluation of an advanced modeling and simulation code for fuel performance. The AMP (Advanced MultiPhysics) Nuclear Fuel Performance code is a new, three-dimensional, multi-physics tool that uses state-of-the-art solution methods and validated nuclear fuel models to simulate the nominal operation and anticipated operational transients of nuclear fuel. The AMP Nuclear Fuel Performance code leverages existing validated material models from traditional fuel performance codes and the Scale/ORIGEN-S spent-fuel characterization code to provide an initial capability that is shown to be sufficiently accurate for a single benchmark problem and anticipated to be accurate for a broad range of problems. The thermomechanics foundation can be solved in a time-dependent or quasi-static approach with any variation of operator-split or fully-coupled solutions at each time step through interoperable interfaces to leading computational mathematics tools, including PETSc, Trilinos, and SUNDIALS. A baseline validation of the AMP Nuclear Fuel Performance code has been performed through the modeling of an experiment in the Halden Reactor Project (IFA-432) that demonstrates the integrated capability and provides a baseline of the initial accuracy of the software.