Serpent neutronics model of Wendelstein 7-X for 14.1 MeV neutrons

Simppa Äkäslompolo; Jan Paul Koschinsky; Joona Kontula; Christoph Biedermann; Sergey Bozhenkov; Taina Kurki-Suonio; Jaakko Leppänen; Antti Snicker; Robert Wolf; Glen Wurden; W7-X Team

doi:10.1016/j.fusengdes.2021.112347

Serpent neutronics model of Wendelstein 7-X for 14.1 MeV neutrons

Simppa Äkäslompolo^*, Jan Paul Koschinsky, Joona Kontula, Christoph Biedermann, Sergey Bozhenkov, Taina Kurki-Suonio, Jaakko Leppänen, Antti Snicker, Robert Wolf, Glen Wurden, W7-X Team

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this work, a Serpent 2 neutronics model of the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) stellarator is prepared, and an response function for the Scintillating-Fibre neutron detector (SciFi) is calculated using the model. The neutronics model includes the simplified geometry for the key components of the stellarator itself as well as the torus hall. The objective of the model is to assess the 14.1 MeV neutron flux from deuteron-triton fusions in W7-X, where the neutrons are modelled only until they have slowed down to 1 MeV energy. The key messages of this article are: demonstration of unstructured mesh geometry usage for stellarators, W7-X in particular; technical documentation of the model and first insights in fast neutron behaviour in W7-X, especially related to the SciFi: the model indicates that the superconducting coils are the strongest scatterers and block neutrons from large parts of the plasma. The back-scattering from e.g. massive steel support structures is found to be small. The SciFi will detect neutrons from an extended plasma volume in contrast to having an effective line-of-sight.

Original language	English
Article number	112347
Journal	Fusion Engineering and Design
Volume	167
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fusengdes.2021.112347
Publication status	Published - Jun 2021
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

This work has been carried out within the framework of the EUROfusion Consortium and has received funding from the Euratom research and training programme 2014-2018 and 2019-2020 under grant agreement No 633053. This work was partially funded by the Academy of Finland project No. 328874 and No. 324759. The authors wish to acknowledge CSC - IT Center for Science, Finland, for computational resources as well as the Max-Planck computing & data facility for the same. The HPCE3 programme and Walter Ahlström foundation contributed to the funding of the work.

Keywords

Neutrons
Scintillating fibre
Serpent
Simulation
Wendelstein 7-X

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.fusengdes.2021.112347

Cite this

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title = "Serpent neutronics model of Wendelstein 7-X for 14.1 MeV neutrons",

abstract = "In this work, a Serpent 2 neutronics model of the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) stellarator is prepared, and an response function for the Scintillating-Fibre neutron detector (SciFi) is calculated using the model. The neutronics model includes the simplified geometry for the key components of the stellarator itself as well as the torus hall. The objective of the model is to assess the 14.1 MeV neutron flux from deuteron-triton fusions in W7-X, where the neutrons are modelled only until they have slowed down to 1 MeV energy. The key messages of this article are: demonstration of unstructured mesh geometry usage for stellarators, W7-X in particular; technical documentation of the model and first insights in fast neutron behaviour in W7-X, especially related to the SciFi: the model indicates that the superconducting coils are the strongest scatterers and block neutrons from large parts of the plasma. The back-scattering from e.g. massive steel support structures is found to be small. The SciFi will detect neutrons from an extended plasma volume in contrast to having an effective line-of-sight.",

keywords = "Neutrons, Scintillating fibre, Serpent, Simulation, Wendelstein 7-X",

author = "Simppa {\"A}k{\"a}slompolo and Koschinsky, {Jan Paul} and Joona Kontula and Christoph Biedermann and Sergey Bozhenkov and Taina Kurki-Suonio and Jaakko Lepp{\"a}nen and Antti Snicker and Robert Wolf and Glen Wurden and {W7-X Team}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 The Author(s)",

year = "2021",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1016/j.fusengdes.2021.112347",

language = "English",

volume = "167",

journal = "Fusion Engineering and Design",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Serpent neutronics model of Wendelstein 7-X for 14.1 MeV neutrons

AU - Äkäslompolo, Simppa

AU - Koschinsky, Jan Paul

AU - Kontula, Joona

AU - Biedermann, Christoph

AU - Bozhenkov, Sergey

AU - Kurki-Suonio, Taina

AU - Leppänen, Jaakko

AU - Snicker, Antti

AU - Wolf, Robert

AU - Wurden, Glen

AU - W7-X Team

PY - 2021/6

Y1 - 2021/6

N2 - In this work, a Serpent 2 neutronics model of the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) stellarator is prepared, and an response function for the Scintillating-Fibre neutron detector (SciFi) is calculated using the model. The neutronics model includes the simplified geometry for the key components of the stellarator itself as well as the torus hall. The objective of the model is to assess the 14.1 MeV neutron flux from deuteron-triton fusions in W7-X, where the neutrons are modelled only until they have slowed down to 1 MeV energy. The key messages of this article are: demonstration of unstructured mesh geometry usage for stellarators, W7-X in particular; technical documentation of the model and first insights in fast neutron behaviour in W7-X, especially related to the SciFi: the model indicates that the superconducting coils are the strongest scatterers and block neutrons from large parts of the plasma. The back-scattering from e.g. massive steel support structures is found to be small. The SciFi will detect neutrons from an extended plasma volume in contrast to having an effective line-of-sight.

AB - In this work, a Serpent 2 neutronics model of the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) stellarator is prepared, and an response function for the Scintillating-Fibre neutron detector (SciFi) is calculated using the model. The neutronics model includes the simplified geometry for the key components of the stellarator itself as well as the torus hall. The objective of the model is to assess the 14.1 MeV neutron flux from deuteron-triton fusions in W7-X, where the neutrons are modelled only until they have slowed down to 1 MeV energy. The key messages of this article are: demonstration of unstructured mesh geometry usage for stellarators, W7-X in particular; technical documentation of the model and first insights in fast neutron behaviour in W7-X, especially related to the SciFi: the model indicates that the superconducting coils are the strongest scatterers and block neutrons from large parts of the plasma. The back-scattering from e.g. massive steel support structures is found to be small. The SciFi will detect neutrons from an extended plasma volume in contrast to having an effective line-of-sight.

KW - Neutrons

KW - Scintillating fibre

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KW - Simulation

KW - Wendelstein 7-X

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Serpent neutronics model of Wendelstein 7-X for 14.1 MeV neutrons

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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Cite this

Serpent neutronics model of Wendelstein 7-X for 14.1 MeV neutrons

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this

Serpent neutronics model of Wendelstein 7-X for 14.1 MeV neutrons