February 5
@
12:00 PM
–
1:00 PM
Thursday, February 5
12:00 – 1:00pm
106 Engineering Research Building
Please contact office@neep.wisc.edu for assistance with remote participation.
Selected Examples of Recent Modeling and Simulation Work in Fission and Fusion Systems
This seminar will review some recent projects involving the modeling and simulation of fission and fusion systems, with an emphasis on the practical approaches used and the insights gained during the work. One example is the development of a full‑resolution model of the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE). This effort combines neutronics and thermal‑hydraulics to represent the experiment’s configuration in detail, providing a way to revisit historical data and gain additional understanding of MSRE behavior. A second example concerns inertial fusion energy (IFE), focusing on the response of the chamber to target pulses. The modeling examines gas dynamics, shock propagation, and interactions with chamber structures. The seminar will also touch on work related to heat‑pipe microreactors and nuclear thermal propulsion systems.
To conclude, the seminar will briefly introduce foamForNuclear, a fully open‑source multiphysics framework built on OpenFOAM that supports coupled simulations across multiple regions and physics models. The platform builds on developments such as GeN‑Foam and OFFBEAT to provide a modular structure that couples arbitrary physics across multiple regions and meshes without source code changes. It supports full‑core heterogeneous geometries, advanced thermal‑hydraulics, structural mechanics, neutronics, and materials behavior. The framework includes extensive documentation, several tutorials, and a comprehensive Python API. Through the Functional Mock‑up Interface (FMI), foamForNuclear connects with external tools for turbomachinery and control systems, enabling end‑to‑end simulation of nuclear reactors and fusion energy systems.
Carlo Fiorina is an Associate Professor at Texas A&M University. He received his BS, MS, and PhD degrees from Politecnico di Milano, Italy. Prior to joining TAMU, he was an R&D Program Manager at EPFL, Switzerland, and a postdoctoral researcher at the Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland. In his current position, he teaches Nuclear Reactor Theory and conducts research on the modeling, design, and analysis of advanced reactors and fusion energy systems. Since 2015, he has been actively supporting and promoting open-source software development and has played a key role in establishing the IAEA ONCORE initiative. He has been the lead developer of the GeN-Foam multiphysics solver since 2014 and a co-developer of the OFFBEAT fuel behavior solver since 2017.