Awesome Nuclear: A Treasure Trove of Open Source Nuclear Tools
Awesome Nuclear is a curated list of open-source projects specifically designed for nuclear science and engineering. This compilation serves as a valuable resource for researchers, engineers, and students in the field, providing access to a range of tools and codes that facilitate various aspects of nuclear science.
Particle Transport
Monte Carlo Codes
Monte Carlo methods are a class of computational algorithms that rely on repeated random sampling to obtain numerical results, highly applicable in nuclear particle transport:
- ERGnrc: This code simulates the transport of photons, electrons, and positrons.
- FRENSIE: Focused on neutron and photon transport.
- Geant4: Known for simulating high-energy particle transport.
- OpenMC: Simulates neutron and photon transport.
- SCONE: Specializes in neutron transport.
- Warp: Utilizes GPUs to enhance neutron transport simulations.
Deterministic Codes
Deterministic methods provide alternative approaches to Monte Carlo simulations:
- BART: A Berkeley-developed finite-element code.
- Chi-Tech: Developed by Texas A&M, this code offers parallel discrete ordinates solutions.
- DRAGON: A lattice code for nuclear reactor applications by Polytechnique Montreal.
- FeenoX: An unstructured finite-element tool dealing with diffusion and discrete ordinates.
- OpenMOC: Implements the method of characteristics for calculations.
- THOR: Uses the AHOT-C method for mesh-based solutions.
Event Generators
These tools simulate nuclear fission events:
- CGMF: A code for generating fission events.
- FREYA: Another fission event generator, highlighting various possibilities in simulations.
Related Tools
This category offers auxiliary tools aiding nuclear simulations and data handling:
- ACE Format: Documentation detailing the ACE format.
- DAGMC: A toolkit for integrating geometry into Monte Carlo simulations.
- MCNPTools: Offers interfaces for working with MCNP data.
Nuclear Data
Gathering and processing nuclear data is crucial for accurate simulations:
- ACEMAKER: Produces ACE files for nuclear data.
- FRENDY: Handles data processing tasks.
- SANDY: Samples nuclear data for further use.
- TALYS: Simulates nuclear reactions comprehensively.
Depletion, Transmutation, and Decay
These tools model changes in nuclear materials over time:
- ADDER: A Python tool for handling fuel management and depletion.
- ALARA: Focuses on the activation of fusion materials.
- ONIX: A code for computing nuclear burnup, specifically in Python.
Kinetics
Understanding reactor kinetics is vital for reactor operation:
- KOMODO: Simulates reactors using three-dimensional diffusion methods.
- Research Reactor Simulator: Provides real-time GUI-based reactor simulations.
Fuel Cycle
Simulating the nuclear fuel cycle is important for managing resources:
- Cyclus: A simulator that models various aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle.
- OpenMCyclus: Integrates reactor archetypes with cycling simulations.
Thermal Hydraulics
These codes focus on fluid dynamics within reactor components:
- Nek5000: A computational fluid dynamics code using spectral-element methods.
- OpenFOAM: A flexible platform offering finite-volume CFD analyses.
Multiphysics
Complex systems modeling multiple physics simultaneously:
- Aurora: Wraps OpenMC within the MOOSE framework for enhanced compatibility.
- TRUST: A versatile platform for building customized CFD solutions.
Molten Salt Reactor
Dedicated to simulating molten salt reactor technologies:
- Moltres: A code designed specifically for simulating molten salt reactors.
Other Tools
- PyNE: A Python/C++ toolkit offering broad capabilities for nuclear engineering.
- RAVEN: Facilitates uncertainty quantification and probabilistic analyses.
Research Groups
Several key research groups are making significant contributions to this open-source effort:
- ARFC (UIUC): Focuses on advanced reactors and fuel cycles.
- CNERG (UW-Madison): Dedicated to computational nuclear engineering.
- CRPG (MIT): Engages in computational reactor physics research.
Awesome Nuclear showcases a comprehensive array of tools and resources pivotal for the advancement of nuclear science and engineering. By leveraging these open-source projects, researchers and practitioners can innovate and explore new possibilities in the nuclear industry.