PROTEUS-MOC User Manual

Abstract

The PROTEUS-MOC code is a three-dimensional (3D) neutron transport code based on the finite element mesh and the method of characteristics (MOC) which combines a 2D MOC with the discontinuous Galerkin finite element method for the axial direction. Thus, for PROTEUS-MOC, a 3D geometry is represented with by the implicit extrusion of a single 2D planar geometry with different material assignments allowable on each plane. The code requires four input files for a steady-state calculation without the thermal feedback: a driver input, a mesh input, a cross section input, and a material assignment input. With thermal feedback, a T/H input file is needed. For kinetics, a kinetics driver input file is required. The PROTEUS-MOC software produces a text output file as well as a data file which includes integral and average quantities such on fluxes, powers, temperatures, densities, etc. The detailed output file can be converted to the VTK format using the post processing code so that the outputs can be visualized using a visualization software such as VisIt.

Micro Reactor Simulation Using the PROTEUS Suite in FY19

“…For deterministic neutronics analysis of micro reactors, we used PROTEUS which is a highfidelity capable three-dimensional (3D) deterministic neutron transport code developed by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) under the Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program. Being able to solve the neutron transport equation in steady-state and transient conditions, the code contains three solvers for flexible applications: the second-order discrete ordinates (SN) [5] and method of characteristics (MOC) [6] transport solvers based on unstructured finite element meshes as well as the nodal transport solver (NODAL) [7] for hexagonal and Cartesian geometries for use in rapid design application. The SN and MOC solvers of PROTEUS can be used for simulating micro reactors which are mostly of irregular geometry.…”

Coupled Multiphysics Simulations of Heat Pipe Microreactors Using DireWolf

“…31 PROTEUS is a FORTRAN neutron transport code offering different solving strategies, including nodal, S N , and the method of characteristics (MOC), which combines a two-dimensional (2-D) MOC with the discontinuous Galerkin FEM for the axial direction. 32 The capabilities present in PROTEUS and previously missing from Rattlesnake + MAMMOTH are currently being migrated into Griffin. 33…”

Survey and Assessment of Computational Capabilities for Advanced (Non-LWR) Reactor Mechanistic Source Term Analysis.

“…Included in the suite is MC 2 -3, a multigroup cross section generation code for fast reactor analysis [25]. Using different methods to solve the neutron transport equation, the three deterministic solvers include the discrete ordinate method (SN) [26,27], the method of characteristics (MOC) [28], and the nodal diffusion method (NODAL) [29]. It can also be coupled to PERSENT, a perturbation and sensitivity analysis code [30].…”