FY2017 Pilot Project Plan for the Nuclear Energy Knowledge and Validation Center Initiative

Abstract

To prepare for technical development of computational code validation under the Nuclear Energy Knowledge and Validation Center (NEKVAC) initiative, several meetings were held by a group of experts of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to develop requirements of, and formulate a structure for, a transient fuel database through leveraging existing resources. It was concluded in discussions of these meetings that a pilot project is needed to address the most fundamental issues that can generate immediate stimulus to near-future validation developments as well as long-lasting benefits to NEKVAC operation. The present project is proposed based on the consensus of these discussions. Analysis of common scenarios in code validation indicates that the incapability of acquiring satisfactory validation data is often a showstopper that must first be tackled before any confident validation developments can be carried out. Validation data are usually found scattered in different places most likely with interrelationships among the data not well documented, incomplete with information for some parameters missing, nonexistent, or unrealistic to experimentally generate. Furthermore, with very different technical backgrounds, the modeler, the experimentalist, and the knowledgebase developer that must be involved in validation data development often cannot communicate effectively without a data package template that is representative of the data structure for the information domain of interest to the desired code validation. This pilot project is proposed to use the legendary TREAT Experiments Database to provide core elements for creating an ideal validation data package. Data gaps and missing data interrelationships will be identified from these core elements. All the identified missing elements will then be filled in with experimental data if available from other existing sources or with dummy data if nonexistent. The resulting hybrid validation data package (composed of experimental and dummy data) will provide a clear and complete instance delineating the structure of the desired validation data and enabling effective communication among the modeler, the experimentalist, and the knowledgebase developer. With a good common understanding of the desired data structure by the three parties of subject matter experts, further existing data hunting will be effectively conducted, new experimental data generation will be realistically pursued, knowledgebase schema will be practically designed; and code validation will be confidently planned. The hybrid data package will first be uploaded into the Nuclear Energy-Knowledgebase for Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NE-KAMS) along with some expansion of the NE-KAMS structure as needed to establish a common base for communications among the three parties of subject matter experts. The uploaded hybrid data package will also provide a map for creating a complete validation data package of experimental data, and further, facilitate networking scattered existing datasets preserved in different sources for the complete package. The network will allow new experimental data to be generated and preserved in databases at different locations, e.g. NDMAS at INL or VELO at PNNL, for cost and time efficiency. Meanwhile, a duplicate will be uploaded into NE-KAMS for backup and enhanced accessibility. Completion of this pilot project will establish requirements for a networked transient fuel database, formulate the structure of transient fuel information domain, deliver a tangible framework along with operation protocols for transient fuel validation data accumulation and management, provide a visual instance of a complete validation data package to facilitate future experimental data generation and validation development planning, and retain unique expertise required for long-term NEKVAK development and operation. Due to unclear prospective funding situation at this point, a budget for the proposed pilot efforts is not made. However, the tasks are defined to allow piecewise developments that would fit into available funds.