Tokushima University utilize "MSC Apex" for Helical-type Fusion Reactor

By Bhalchandra Chorghade, Editor, CNCTimes.com

Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence division has announced that Department of Radiation Science and Technology, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tokushima University and Helical Fusion Co., Ltd. have been using "MSC Apex" for the generation of the MSC Nastran input data in 3D neutron transport Monte Carlo simulation calculations of next-generation helical-type nuclear fusion.

Tokushima University has performed 3D neutron transport calculations for advanced design blanket of a helical-type nuclear fusion reactor to evaluate TBR (Tritium Breeding Ratio) in an advanced design blanket of a helical-type fusion reactor under the joint research program of the National Institute for Fusion Science, Japan, where a helical-type plasma experimental device is located. In July 2022, they started joint research with Helical Fusion on this 3D neutron transport Monte Carlo simulation calculation, i.e., PHITS calculation code.

In order to evaluate neutron transport in advance with accuracy, it is especially important to accurately represent the target structure in the computational domain in radiation transport analysis in advance. In this research, high resolution representing the design of the next-generation helical-type nuclear fusion reactor by Helical Fusion is inevitable. However, it is extremely difficult to accurately represent complex design structures like a helical structure in PHITS calculation space. Tokushima University, therefore, used "MSC Apex Modeler" to generate MSC Nastran input data to be imported into the PHITS calculation code from the 3D CAD data of the next-generation helical-type nuclear fusion reactor. In this workflow, 3D CAD data was imported into MSC Apex Modeler, geometries were edited, and solid mesh was generated to obtain the input data in MSC Nastran input data format. Then, the file output from MSC Apex was loaded in the PHITS calculation code and the calculation was performed successful.

Before using MSC Apex, the conventional method could not handle CAD data. Therefore, they had no way to deal with errors such as intersections generated during meshing, or could not handle the data in the GUI. However, various geometry editing and solid meshing functions in MSC Apex allow the user to detect intersections and other errors in the GUI and to visually edit geometries with advanced tools such as “Vertex/Edge Drag”.

Professor Minoru Sakama, Department of Radiation Science and Technology, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tokushima University, says that “In radiation transport simulation analysis, workflows to import the data of complex structures such as helical-type nuclear fusion reactors and curved structures such as NURBS, including the human body, into radiation transport calculation domain are not well known. We expect that MSC Apex Modeler, advanced solid meshing software, will be widely used increasingly and new solvers for radiation-related matters will be born in the future.”

https://hexagon.com/company/newsroom/press-releases/2023/tokushima-university-and-helical-fusion

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