All issues

A review of the problems of preparing accurate geometric models of steel ropes based on mathematical models without significant simplifications, taking into account the intended purpose of the model, is carried out. Possible approaches to the generation of precise geometric models of steel ropes that have no fundamental limitations on their integration in computational domains and the subsequent construction of finite element models based on them are shown. A generalized parameterized geometric model of single and double twist ropes and its algorithmic implementation using the OpenCASCADE Core Technology geometric modeling kernel in the Gmsh environment (open source software) is considered. The problems of using generic tabular data from steel rope assortment standards as initial data for constructing geometric models are considered. Methods of preliminary verification of collisions of a geometric model based on the initial data of a geometric model are given. Post-verification methods based on Boolean operations over rope wire bodies are given to identify incorrect results of generating models of wire bodies with curvilinear side surfaces based on the algorithm of sequential hierarchical construction of individual wires of single strand and sequential copying of it. Various methods of the process of constructing geometric models of rope wires by extrusion are shown: through a sequence of generatrix with the formation of a body limited by curvilinear surfaces, through a sequence of generatrix with the formation of a body limited by linearly approximated surfaces, and extrusion of one generatrix along a single guideline. The computational complexity of the geometric model generation and the required volume of RAM for the two most universal methods of creating a body of wire are investigated. A method for estimating the value of the step of the arrangement of the generatrix of a single wire is shown, and the influence of its value on the computational complexity of the procedure of wire construction is investigated. Recommendations are given for choosing the value of the radial gap between the layers of wires. An algorithmic implementation of the method for searching for collisions of a geometric model of a steel rope in a non-interactive mode is shown. Approaches to the formation of procedures for processing collisions are proposed. Approaches presented in the article can be implemented in the form of software modules for execution in the Gmsh environment, as well as for another environment using the OpenCascade Core Technology geometric modeling kernel. Such modules allow automation of the construction of accurate geometric models of steel ropes in any configuration without fundamental restrictions on subsequent use, both stand-alone and in the form of objects (primitives) suitable for integration in a third-party model.

The aim of research is to develop software system for solving gas dynamic problem in multiply connected integration domains of regular shape by high-performance computing system. Comparison of the various technologies of parallel computing has been done. The program complex is implemented using multithreaded parallel systems to organize both multi-core and massively parallel calculation. The comparison of numerical results with known model problems solutions has been done. Research of performance of different computing platforms has been done.

The paper presents the results of three-dimensional numerical simulation of thermal-hydraulic processes in the Intermediate Heat Exchanger of the advanced Sodium-Cooled Fast-Neutron (BN) Reactor considering a developed methodological approach.

The Intermediate Heat Exchanger (IHX) is located in the reactor vessel and intended to transfer heat from the primary sodium circulating on the shell side to the secondary sodium circulating on the tube side. In case of an integral layout of the primary equipment in the BN reactor, upstream the IHX inlet windows there is a temperature stratification of the coolant due to incomplete mixing of different temperature flows at the core outlet. Inside the IHX, in the area of the input and output windows, a complex longitudinal and transverse flow of the coolant also takes place resulting in an uneven distribution of the coolant flow rate on the tube side and, as a consequence, in an uneven temperature distribution and heat transfer efficiency along the height and radius of the tube bundle.

In order to confirm the thermal-hydraulic parameters of the IHX of the advanced BN reactor applied in the design, a methodological approach for three-dimensional numerical simulation of the heat exchanger located in the reactor vessel was developed, taking into account the three-dimensional sodium flow pattern at the IHX inlet and inside the IHX, as well as justifying the recommendations for simplifying the geometry of the computational model of the IHX.

Numerical simulation of thermal-hydraulic processes in the IHX of the advanced BN reactor was carried out using the FlowVision software package with the standard $k-\varepsilon$ turbulence model and the LMS turbulent heat transfer model.

To increase the representativeness of numerical simulation of the IHX tube bundle, verification calculations of singletube and multi-tube sodium-sodium heat exchangers were performed with the geometric characteristics corresponding to the IHX design.

To determine the input boundary conditions in the IHX model, an additional three-dimensional calculation was performed taking into account the uneven flow pattern in the upper mixing chamber of the reactor.

The IHX computational model was optimized by simplifying spacer belts and selecting a sector model.

As a result of numerical simulation of the IHX, the distributions of the primary sodium velocity and primary and secondary sodium temperature were obtained. Satisfactory agreement of the calculation results with the design data on integral parameters confirmed the adopted design thermal-hydraulic characteristics of the IHX of the advanced BN reactor.

In this work we have developed a new efficient program for the numerical simulation of 3D global chemical transport on an adaptive finite-difference grid which allows us to concentrate grid points in the regions where flow variables sharply change and coarsen the grid in the regions of their smooth behavior, which significantly minimizes the grid size. We represent the adaptive grid with a combination of several dynamic (tree, linked list) and static (array) data structures. The dynamic data structures are used for a grid reconstruction, and the calculations of the flow variables are based on the static data structures. The introduction of the static data structures allows us to speed up the program by a factor of 2 in comparison with the conventional approach to the grid representation with only dynamic data structures.

We wrote and tested our program on a computer with 6 CPU cores. Using the computer microarchitecture simulator gem5, we estimated the scalability property of the program on a significantly greater number of cores (up to 32), using several models of a computer system with the design “computational cores – cache – main memory”. It has been shown that the microarchitecture of a computer system has a significant impact on the scalability property, i.e. the same program demonstrates different efficiency on different computer microarchitectures. For example, we have a speedup of 14.2 on a processor with 32 cores and 2 cache levels, but we have a speedup of 22.2 on a processor with 32 cores and 3 cache levels. The execution time of a program on a computer model in gem5 is 104–105 times greater than the execution time of the same program on a real computer and equals 1.5 hours for the most complex model.

Also in this work we describe how to configure gem5 and how to perform simulations with gem5 in the most optimal way.

The development of a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) constituting a part of nuclear power-and-process station and intended for large-scale hydrogen production is now in progress in the Russian Federation. One of the key objectives in development of the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor is the computational justification of the accepted design.

The article gives the procedure for the computational analysis of thermal and physical characteristics of the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor. The procedure is based on the use of the state-of-the-art codes for personal computer (PC).

The objective of thermal and physical analysis of the reactor as a whole and of the core in particular was achieved in three stages. The idea of the first stage is to justify the neutron physical characteristics of the block-type core during burn-up with the use of the MCU-HTR code based on the Monte Carlo method. The second and the third stages are intended to study the coolant flow and the temperature condition of the reactor and the core in 3D with the required degree of detailing using the FlowVision and the ANSYS codes.

For the purpose of carrying out the analytical studies the computational models of the reactor flow path and the fuel assembly column were developed.

As per the results of the computational modeling the design of the support columns and the neutron physical characteristics of the fuel assembly were optimized. This results in the reduction of the total hydraulic resistance of the reactor and decrease of the maximum temperature of the fuel elements.

The dependency of the maximum fuel temperature on the value of the power peaking factors determined by the arrangement of the absorber rods and of the compacts of burnable absorber in the fuel assembly is demonstrated.

A cluster method of mathematical modeling of interval-stochastic thermal processes in complex electronic systems (ES), is developed. In the cluster method, the construction of a complex ES is represented in the form of a thermal model, which is a system of clusters, each of which contains a core that combines the heat-generating elements falling into a given cluster, the cluster shell and a medium flow through the cluster. The state of the thermal process in each cluster and every moment of time is characterized by three interval-stochastic state variables, namely, the temperatures of the core, shell, and medium flow. The elements of each cluster, namely, the core, shell, and medium flow, are in thermal interaction between themselves and elements of neighboring clusters. In contrast to existing methods, the cluster method allows you to simulate thermal processes in complex ESs, taking into account the uneven distribution of temperature in the medium flow pumped into the ES, the conjugate nature of heat exchange between the medium flow in the ES, core and shells of clusters, and the intervalstochastic nature of thermal processes in the ES, caused by statistical technological variation in the manufacture and installation of electronic elements in ES and random fluctuations in the thermal parameters of the environment. The mathematical model describing the state of thermal processes in a cluster thermal model is a system of interval-stochastic matrix-block equations with matrix and vector blocks corresponding to the clusters of the thermal model. The solution to the interval-stochastic equations are statistical measures of the state variables of thermal processes in clusters - mathematical expectations, covariances between state variables and variance. The methodology for applying the cluster method is shown on the example of a real ES.

The article deals with the problem of a distributed system operation reliability. The system core is an open integration platform that provides interaction of varied software for modeling gas transportation. Some of them provide an access through thin clients on the cloud technology “software as a service”. Mathematical models of operation, transmission and computing are to ensure the operation of an automated dispatching system for oil and gas transportation. The paper presents a system solution based on the theory of Markov random processes and considers the stable operation stage. The stationary operation mode of the Markov chain with continuous time and discrete states is described by a system of Chapman–Kolmogorov equations with respect to the average numbers (mathematical expectations) of the objects in certain states. The objects of research are both system elements that are present in a large number – thin clients and computing modules, and individual ones – a server, a network manager (message broker). Together, they are interacting Markov random processes. The interaction is determined by the fact that the transition probabilities in one group of elements depend on the average numbers of other elements groups.

The authors propose a multi-criteria dispersion model of risk assessment for such systems (both in the broad and narrow sense, in accordance with the IEC standard). The risk is the standard deviation of estimated object parameter from its average value. The dispersion risk model makes possible to define optimality criteria and whole system functioning risks. In particular, for a thin client, the following is calculated: the loss profit risk, the total risk of losses due to non-productive element states, and the total risk of all system states losses.

Finally the paper proposes compromise schemes for solving the multi-criteria problem of choosing the optimal operation strategy based on the selected set of compromise criteria.

With the data obtained by hydrobiological monitoring of water objects of Don river for many years (1978-1988) calculation of rank distribution parameters and indexes of dominance for phytoplankton species abundance was conducted. The borders of investigated characteristics are calculated. They correspond to borders of ecological well-being - trouble conditions of phytoplankton communities. Ecologically tolerable levels for the core abiotic factors are found. Contribution of each of analyzed factors to a degree of ecological trouble is established.

The paper presents an optimization approach to microstructure simulation. Porosity function was optimized by numerical method, grain-size model was optimized by complex method based on criteria of model quality. Methods have been validated on examples. Presented new regression model of model quality. Actual application of proposed method is 3D reconstruction of core sample microstructure. Presented results suggest to prolongation of investigations. 

An approach to numerical analysis of thermo-hydraulic processes proceeding in a fast-neutron reactor is described in the given article. The description covers physical models, numerical schemes and geometry simplifications accepted in the computational model. Steady-state and dynamic regimes of reactor operation are considered. The steady-state regimes simulate the reactor operation at nominal power. The dynamic regimes simulate the shutdown reactor cooling by means of the heat-removal system.

Simulation of thermo-hydraulic processes is carried out in the FlowVision CFD software. A mathematical model describing the coolant flow in the first loop of the fast-neutron reactor was developed on the basis of the available geometrical model. The flow of the working fluid in the reactor simulator is calculated under the assumption that the fluid density does not depend on pressure, with use a $k–\varepsilon$ turbulence model, with use of a model of dispersed medium, and with account of conjugate heat exchange. The model of dispersed medium implemented in the FlowVision software allowed taking into account heat exchange between the heat-exchanger lops. Due to geometric complexity of the core region, the zones occupied by the two heat exchangers were modeled by hydraulic resistances and heat sources.

Numerical simulation of the coolant flow in the FlowVision software enabled obtaining the distributions of temperature, velocity and pressure in the entire computational domain. Using the model of dispersed medium allowed calculation of the temperature distributions in the second loops of the heat exchangers. Besides that, the variation of the coolant temperature along the two thermal probes is determined. The probes were located in the cool and hot chambers of the fast-neutron reactor simulator. Comparative analysis of the numerical and experimental data has shown that the developed mathematical model is correct and, therefore, it can be used for simulation of thermo-hydraulic processes proceeding in fast-neutron reactors with sodium coolant.