• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권10호
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• pp.3897-3908
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• 2022

High-fidelity nuclear data libraries and neutronics simulation tools are essential for the development of fast reactors. The IAEA coordinated research project on "Neutronics Benchmark of CEFR Start-Up Tests" offers valuable data for the qualification of nuclear data libraries and neutronics codes. This paper focuses on the verification and validation of the CEFR start-up modelling using OpenMC Monte-Carlo code against the experimental measurements. The OpenMC simulation results agree well with the measurements in criticality, control rod worth, sodium void reactivity, temperature reactivity, subassembly swap reactivity, and reaction distribution. In feedback coefficient evaluations, an additional state method shows high consistency with lower uncertainty. Among 122 relative errors in the benchmark of the distribution of nuclear reaction, 104 errors are less than 10% and 84 errors are less than 5%. The results demonstrate the high reliability of OpenMC for its application in fast reactor simulations. In the companion paper, the influence of cross-section libraries is investigated using neutronics modelling in this paper.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제69권1호
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• pp.21-31
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• 2019

Optimizing composite structures to exploit their maximum potential is a realistic application with promising returns. In this research, simultaneous maximization of the fundamental frequency and frequency separation between the first two modes by optimizing the fiber angles is considered. A high-fidelity design optimization methodology is developed by combining the high-accuracy of finite element method with iterative improvement capability of metaheuristic algorithms. Three powerful nature-inspired optimization algorithms viz. a genetic algorithm (GA), a particle swarm optimization (PSO) variant and a cuckoo search (CS) variant are used. Advanced memetic features are incorporated in the PSO and CS to form their respective variants-RPSOLC (repulsive particle swarm optimization with local search and chaotic perturbation) and CHP (co-evolutionary host-parasite). A comprehensive set of benchmark solutions on several new problems are reported. Statistical tests and comprehensive assessment of the predicted results show CHP comprehensively outperforms RPSOLC and GA, while RPSOLC has a little superiority over GA. Extensive simulations show that the on repeated trials of the same experiment, CHP has very low variability. About 50% fewer variations are seen in RPSOLC as compared to GA on repeated trials.

• Wind and Structures
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.225-238
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• 2019

In this paper a novel and efficient computational framework to estimate the stress range versus number of cycles curves experienced by a cable due to external excitations (e.g., seismic excitations, traffic and wind-induced vibrations, among others) is proposed. This study is limited to the wind-cable interaction governed by the Vortex Shedding mechanism which mainly rules cables vibrations at low amplitudes that may lead to their failure due to bending fatigue damage. The algorithm relies on a stochastic approach to account for the uncertainties in the cable properties, initial conditions, damping, and wind excitation which are the variables that govern the wind-induced vibration phenomena in cables. These uncertainties are propagated adopting Monte Carlo simulations and the concept of importance sampling, which is used to reduce significantly the computational costs when new scenarios with different probabilistic models for the uncertainties are evaluated. A high fidelity cable model is also proposed, capturing the effect of its internal wires distribution and helix angles on the cables stress. Simulation results on a 15 mm diameter high-strength steel strand reveal that not accounting for the initial conditions uncertainties or using a coarse wind speed discretization lead to an underestimation of the stress range experienced by the cable. In addition, parametric studies illustrate the computational efficiency of the algorithm at estimating new scenarios with new probabilistic models, running 3000 times faster than the base case.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권9호
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• pp.3388-3400
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• 2023

Detailed analysis of the neutron pathway through matter inside the nuclear reactor core is exceedingly needed for safety and economic considerations. Due to the constant development of high-performance computing technologies, neutronics analysis using computer codes became more effective and efficient to perform sophisticated neutronics calculations. In this work, a commercial pressurized water reactor (PWR) presented by Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA) Core Physics Benchmark are modeled and simulated using a high-fidelity simulation of OpenMC code in terms of criticality and fuel pin power distribution. Various problems have been selected from VERA benchmark ranging from a simple two-dimension (2D) pin cell problem to a complex three dimension (3D) full core problem. The development of the code capabilities for reactor physics methods has been implemented to investigate the accuracy and performance of the OpenMC code against VERA SCALE codes. The results of OpenMC code exhibit excellent agreement with VERA results with maximum Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) values of less than 0.04% and 1.3% for the criticality eigenvalues and pin power distributions, respectively. This demonstrates the successful utilization of the OpenMC code as a simulation tool for a whole core analysis. Further works are undergoing on the accuracy of OpenMC simulations for the impact of different fuel types and burnup levels and the analysis of the transient behavior and coupled thermal hydraulic feedback.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• 제6권3호
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• pp.529-561
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• 2014

The two-phase turbulent flow past an interface-piercing circular cylinder is studied using a high-fidelity orthogonal curvilinear grid solver with a Lagrangian dynamic subgrid-scale model for large-eddy simulation and a coupled level set and volume of fluid method for air-water interface tracking. The simulations cover the sub-critical and critical and post critical regimes of the Reynolds and sub and super-critical Froude numbers in order to investigate the effect of both dimensionless parameters on the flow. Significant changes in flow features near the air-water interface were observed as the Reynolds number was increased from the sub-critical to the critical regime. The interface makes the separation point near the interface much delayed for all Reynolds numbers. The separation region at intermediate depths is remarkably reduced for the critical Reynolds number regime. The deep flow resembles the single-phase turbulent flow past a circular cylinder, but includes the effect of the free-surface and the limited span length for sub-critical Reynolds numbers. At different Froude numbers, the air-water interface exhibits significantly changed structures, including breaking bow waves with splashes and bubbles at high Froude numbers. Instantaneous and mean flow features such as interface structures, vortex shedding, Reynolds stresses, and vorticity transport are also analyzed. The results are compared with reference experimental data available in the literature. The deep flow is also compared with the single-phase turbulent flow past a circular cylinder in the similar ranges of Reynolds numbers. Discussion is provided concerning the limitations of the current simulations and available experimental data along with future research.

• International Journal of Reliability and Applications
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• 제2권3호
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• pp.209-240
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• 2001

Computer-based simulation and analysis is used extensively in engineering for a variety of tasks. Despite the steady and continuing growth of computing power and speed, the computational cost of complex high-fidelity engineering analyses and simulations limit their use in important areas like design optimization and reliability analysis. Statistical approximation techniques such as design of experiments and response surface methodology are becoming widely used in engineering to minimize the computational expense of running such computer analyses and circumvent many of these limitations. In this paper, we compare and contrast five experimental design types and four approximation model types in terms of their capability to generate accurate approximations for two engineering applications with typical engineering behaviors and a wide range of nonlinearity. The first example involves the analysis of a two-member frame that has three input variables and three responses of interest. The second example simulates the roll-over potential of a semi-tractor-trailer for different combinations of input variables and braking and steering levels. Detailed error analysis reveals that uniform designs provide good sampling for generating accurate approximations using different sample sizes while kriging models provide accurate approximations that are robust for use with a variety of experimental designs and sample sizes.

• 시스템엔지니어링학술지
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.33-39
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• 2010

Anti-surface missiles have been the most dangerous threat to the surface ships, therefore analyzing the defense effectiveness of surface ships against diverse anti-surface missiles attack strategies is very important to evaluate and anticipate the naval combat ship's abilities in terms of AAW (Anti-Air Warfare). In this paper, we don't study on the defense effectiveness of a ship against a missile, but focus on the defense effectiveness for surface ships against multiple missiles specialized in strategies of anti-surface missiles; ripple fire attack and simultaneous time on target attack (STOT). So, we conduct a variety of monte-carlo simulations with high-fidelity simulators, analyze the measure of defense effectiveness for the key factors of strategies and evaluate the effects and possible interactions of several factors through the analysis of the design of experiment (DOE).

• 천문학회보
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• 제42권2호
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• pp.54.3-55
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• 2017

The Deep Lens Survey (DLS), a precursor to the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), is a 20 deg2 survey carried out with NOAO's Blanco and Mayalltelescopes. DLS is unique in its depth reaching down to ~27th mags in BVRz bands. This enables a broad redshift baseline and is optimal for investigating cosmological evolution of the large scale structure. Galaxy-galaxylensing is a powerful tool to estimate averaged matter distribution around lensgalaxies by measuring shape distortions of background galaxies. The signal from galaxy-galaxy lensing is sensitive not only to galaxy halo properties, but also to cosmological environment at large scales. In this study, we measure galaxy-galaxy lensing and galaxy clustering, which together put strong constraints on the cosmological parameters. We obtain significant galaxy-galaxy lensing signals out to ~20 Mpc while tightly controlling systematics. The B-mode signals are consistent with zero. Our lens-source flip test indicates that minimal systematic errors are present in DLS photometric redshifts. Shear calibration is performed using high-fidelity galaxy image simulations. We demonstrate that the overall shape of the galaxy-galaxy lensing signal is well described by the halo model comprised of central and non-central halo contributions. Finally, we present our preliminary constraints on the matter density and the normalization parameters.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.77-88
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• 2015

The dynamics of relative motion in a perturbed orbital environment are exploited based on Gauss' and Cowell's variational equations. The inertial coordinate frame and relative coordinate frame (Hill frame) are used, and a linear high fidelity model is developed to describe the relative motion. This model takes into account the primary gravitational and atmospheric drag perturbations. Then, this model is used in the design of a navigation, guidance, and control system of a chaser vehicle to approach towards and to depart from a target vehicle in proximity operations. Relative navigation uses an extended Kalman filter based on this relative model to estimate the relative position/velocity of the chaser vehicle with respect to the target vehicle. This filter uses the range and angle measurements of the target relative to the chaser from a simulated LIDAR system. The corresponding measurement models, process noise matrix, and other filter parameters are provided. Numerical simulations are performed to assess the precision of this model with respect to the full nonlinear model. The analyses include the navigation errors and trajectory dispersions.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.211-220
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• 2017

Observations from past strong earthquakes revealed that near-fault ground motions could lead to the failure, or even collapse of electricity transmission towers which are vital components of an overhead electric power delivery system. For assessing the performance and robustness, a high-fidelity three-dimension finite element model of a long span transmission tower-line system is established with the consideration of geometric nonlinearity and material nonlinearity. In the numerical model, the Tian-Ma-Qu material model is utilized to capture the nonlinear behaviours of structural members, and the cumulative damage D is defined as an index to identify the failure of members. Consequently, incremental dynamic analyses (IDAs) are conducted to study the collapse fragility, damage positions, collapse margin ratio (CMR) and dynamic robustness of the transmission towers by using twenty near-fault ground motions selected from PEER. Based on the bending and shear deformation of structures, the collapse mechanism of electricity transmission towers subjected to Chi-Chi earthquake is investigated. This research can serve as a reference for the performance of large span transmission tower line system subjected to near-fault ground motions.