Science and Technology
Radiation Transport Methods Update
The Radiation Transport Methods (RTM) focus area is responsible for the
development of methods, algorithms, and implementations of radiation transport
methods as they apply to the design and analysis of light water nuclear
reactors. the fundamental areas of investigation in RTM include
- high-order deterministic transport
- low-order transport approximations
- multigroup cross section generation
- depletion as it applies to in-core neutronics and material coupling
- multiphysics TH-neutron coupling
- stochastic (Monte Carlo) transport methods and models
- time-dependent transport and reactor kinetics
All research in RTM is focused on solving the CASL challenge problems in
light-water reactor design and analysis.
RTM maintains a rich research portfolio that covers the aforementioned areas.
Acitivities in RTM span 4 core-CASL institutions. Specific projects include:
- 3D discrete ordinates (Sn) transport
- embedded self-shielding methods (ESSM) for cross section generation
- 3D Methods-of-Characteristics (MOC)
- parallel solvers and algorithms for coupled non-linear TH-neutronics coupling
- 2D/1D hybrid MOC-transport approximations
- 3D/2D hybrid Sn-MOC approximations
- parallel decomposition algorithms for Monte Carlo
- hybrid Monte Carlo methods
- sub-cell spatial discretizations for Sn
- energy condensation methods
- advanced physics models for continuous energy neutron transport in MC
In addition to fundamental research, RTM is chartered to provide
production-level implementations of neutronics and radiation transport
components to the Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA) software
suite. Currently, RTM supports the following code efforts:
- Insilico/Denovo : Sn-based neutronics for reactor core simulation
- MPACT: MOC-based neutronics for reactor core simulation and cross section generation
- Shift: MC-based neutronics for reactor core simulation
RTM is led by Bill Martin (FA Lead), University of Michigan and John Wagner
(Deputy), Oak Ridge National Laboratory. CASL core partners that are engaged
in RTM activities include University of Michigan, Oak Ridge National
Laboratory, MIT, and NC State.
