Modeling and Simulation Needs for Future Generation Reactors

Advances in modeling and simulation (M&S) are needed for the development and design of future generation reactor plants, particularly for providing the desired a priori assurance that performance, safety and economic goals are met. This paper summarizes the M&S needs for two types of reactor systems, the Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor (SFR), which enables multi-recycle of actinides to avoid nuclear waste accumulation and improve uranium utilization, and the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR), which enables high temperature applications of nuclear energy including the efficient generation of electricity and hydrogen. Near term development of the SFR and VHTR systems requires specific improvements of existing M&S tools and validation of these tools for their intended applications. In addition to these near term needs, which are for the most part system specific, a number of farther reaching advances in M&S are attainable through use of leadership class computers and advances in computing resources, tools, and methods. These advances promise to reduce reliance in the future on large-scale, dedicated experiments or mockup facilities for reactor development than is the case today, and may ultimately allow rapid “numerical prototyping” of reactor components and systems.