Publications related to Investigation and Validation of Unstructured Mesh Methodologies for Modeling Experimental Reactors

Related publications (37)

Welch Method and Bootstrapping Applied to Subcritical Gamma Noise

Andreas Pautz, Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Oskari Ville Pakari

We measured the prompt neutron decay constant

\alpha

alpha of the CROCUS zero-power reactor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne using cross-power spectral density (CPSD) analysis of gamma-gamma correlations from two trans-stilbene org ...

TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC2025

Heavy neutron stars from light scalars

Stefan Stelzl

We study how light scalar fields can change the stellar landscape by triggering a new phase of nuclear matter. Scalars coupled to nucleons can develop a non-trivial expectation value at finite baryon density. This sourcing of a scalar reduces the nucleon m ...

Springer2025

Gamma noise to non-invasively monitor nuclear research reactors

Andreas Pautz, Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Oskari Ville Pakari, Pavel Frajtag, Tom Mager

Autonomous nuclear reactor monitoring is a key aspect of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s strategy to ensure nonproliferation treaty compliance. From the rise of small modular reactor technology, decentralized nuclear reactor fleets may strain the ...

Nature Research2024

Neutron-Gamma Noise Measurements in a Zero-Power Reactor Using Organic Scintillators

Andreas Pautz, Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Oskari Ville Pakari

Noise measurements in light water reactor systems aid in generating validation data for integral point kinetic parameter predictions and generating monitoring parameters for reactor safety and safeguards. The CROCUS zero-power reactor has been used to supp ...

Ieee-Inst Electrical Electronics Engineers Inc2024

Gamma-ray Spectroscopy in Low-Power Nuclear Research Reactors

Andreas Pautz, Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Oskari Ville Pakari

Gamma-ray spectroscopy is an effective technique for radioactive material characterization, routine inventory verification, nuclear safeguards, health physics, and source search scenarios. Gamma-ray spectrometers typically cannot be operated in the immedia ...

MDPI2024

Experimental study and interpretative modelling of the Power Exhaust in Configurations with Multiple X-Points in TCV

Sophie Danielle Angelica Gorno

Nuclear fusion presents a promising clean energy source to mitigate future energy crises, with magnetic confinement fusion well-positioned to provide a baseload scenario to power future reactors. The unmitigated power exhaust of such reactors threatens its ...

EPFL2024

Full core study of the KIWI-B-4E Nuclear Thermal Propulsion system using OpenMC and GeN-Foam

Eymeric Serge Simonnot, Alessandro Scolaro, Thomas Arthur Louis Joseph Guilbaud

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion systems are one of the technologies to unlock interplanetary travel in the solar system and there is currently an increasing demand for accurately simulating such systems. The present paper investigates the KIWI-B-4E reactor, the ...

2024

Heterogeneous catalysis via light-heat dual activation: A path to the breakthrough in C1 chemistry

Bingqiao Xie

A hybrid photothermal catalytic system, which combines both the photochemical (light) and thermal (heat) activation pathways over a bifunctional catalyst, has demonstrated remarkable levels of reaction activity and selectivity when compared with individual ...

Cell Press2024

A high brilliance low-frequency spallation source optimized for one single instrument

Mina Akhyani

Conducting neutron scattering experiments in the presence of high pulsed magnetic fields provides valuable information about the magnetic structures of materials. However, these experiments are challenging and time-consuming because the neutron count is ty ...

EDP Sciences2024

Tool Developments in the OpenMC Code: Correlated Sampling and Transient Fission Matrix Approach Coupled to OpenFOAM

Axel Guy Marie Laureau, Thomas Jean-François Ligonnet

This article outlines the advancements made in broadening the application scope of the OpenMC neutron transport code to include thermohydraulic coupling and nuclear data uncertainty propagation. These developments primarily involve the incorporation of the ...

Taylor & Francis Inc2024

High brightness neutron source optimized for very high pulsed magnetic field experiments

Mina Akhyani

Conducting neutron scattering experiments in the presence of high pulsed magnetic fields, namely above 40 T, provides valuable information about the magnetic structures of materials. However, these experiments are challenging and time-consuming because the ...

EPFL2024

Demonstration of a sparse sensor placement technique to the limited diagnostic set in a fusion power plant

Artur Perek, Lorenzo Martinelli

DEMO will have a limited diagnostic set for optimization of reactor performance, and limited diagnostic coverage due to challenging reactor conditions. This poses challenges for control, especially for detachment control which is planned to be performed wi ...

Elsevier Science Sa2024

Intra-pin Reaction Rate Measurements in the CROCUS Experimental Reactor

Andreas Pautz, Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Mathieu Hursin, Oskari Ville Pakari, Thomas Jean-François Ligonnet, Tom Mager

In response to the need for validating high-fidelity deterministic neutronics solvers capable of providing pin-resolved neutron flux distributions, intra-pin reaction rates measurements were performed in the CROCUS experimental reactor. A specially designe ...

2024

Technology challenges and integration of the plasma position reflectometer in RFX-mod2

Riccardo Agnello

The integration of the new plasma position reflectometer in the RFX-mod2 experiment (the upgraded version of the previous RFX-mod that operated until 2015) is presented in this contribution. Particular attention has been devoted to the high field side subs ...

Elsevier Science Sa2024

Atomic level insight into irradiation effects in nuclear fuel materials

Shaileyee Bhattacharya

Microstructural evolution during in-pile irradiation, radiation damage effects and fission products behavior in UO2 nuclear fuel are key issues in understanding and for the modeling of the performance as well as safety characteristics of nuclear fuels in t ...

EPFL2024

Into the ice: Exploration and data capturing in glacial moulins by a tethered robot

Josephine Anna Eleanor Hughes, Max Mirko Polzin

Glacial moulins (cylindrical meltwater drainage shafts) provide valuable insights into glacier dynamics, but are inaccessible and hazardous environments for humans to study. Exploring them using passive sensor probes has revealed their complex geometry, wh ...

Wiley2024

High-Resolution Modeling Without Computation Slowdown for PETALE in CROCUS

Andreas Pautz, Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Axel Guy Marie Laureau, Thomas Jean-François Ligonnet

In a collaboration between Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and CEA, in the fall of 2020, the experimental Programme d’Étude en Transmission de l’Acier Lourd et ses Eléments (PETALE) was successfully carried out in the CROCUS reactor of EPFL ...

2024

Sensitivity Analysis of the Lumped Thermal Model of the EU 170 GHz Gyrotron Magnetron Injection Gun

Jean-Philippe Hogge, Francisco Sanchez

The ITER Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating and Current Drive (ECRH&CD) system relies on 1 MW 170 GHz Gyrotrons to provide the mm-wave power needed for plasma heating, current drive, and magneto-hydrodynamic control. The design and modeling of the contro ...

Ieee-Inst Electrical Electronics Engineers Inc2024

FENNECS: a novel particle-in-cell code for simulating the formation of magnetized non-neutral plasmas trapped by electrodes of complex geometries

Guillaume Michel Le Bars, Stefano Alberti, Jean-Philippe Hogge, Joaquim Loizu Cisquella, Jérémy Genoud, Francesco Romano

This paper presents the new 2D electrostatic particle -in -cell code FENNECS developed to study the formation of magnetized non -neutral plasmas in geometries with azimuthal symmetry. This code has been developed in the domain of gyrotron electron gun desi ...

2024

Instabilities in Elastic and Magneto-Elastic Beams and Shells: from Shell Buckling to the Design of a Programmable Braille Reader

Arefeh Abbasi

In this thesis, we conduct a comprehensive investigation into structural instabilities of both elastic and magneto-elastic beams and shells, resulting in a creative proposal to design a programmable braille reader. Methodologically, we combine numerical si ...

EPFL2024