An Overview of Mesh Generation Technology Applied to Reactor Core Analysis

A computational mesh defines the discretization of the problem of interest. The mesh provides the geometric and topological basis on which the equations that describe the problem are solved. Mesh generation is an enabling technology for modern computational analysis, as the feasibility of performing a simulation of a complex assembly, such as a nuclear reactor core, is strongly influenced by the mesh generation process chosen to host it. Said another way, the value (or quality) of a particular analysis is a function of the mesh used to perform it. This presentation will outline the current state of meshing technology and software applicable to multiphysics reactor core modeling. While appreciable capability currently exists within the meshing community that is useful for this application, significant advances are needed to provide more automation to the meshing process to reduce the time required to mesh complex models and to increase the quality of the mesh, both statically and dynamically within a simulation application. Indeed, specific advances required include a more robust geometry capability to support meshing algorithms, meshing methods that provide a higher degree of automation, dynamic meshing methods that maintain the proper spatial resolution and element quality that meets the requirements of the evolving simulation, and software that implements these capabilities in a manner that conserves the analyst’s time.