SCALE Graphical Developments for Improved Criticality Safety Analyses

New computer graphic developments at Oak Ridge National Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are being used to provide visualization of criticality safety models and calculational results as well as tools for criticality safety analysis input preparation. The purpose of this paper is to present the status of current development efforts to continue to enhance the SCALE (Standardized Computer Analyses for Licensing Evaluations) computer software system. Applications for criticality safety analysis in the areas of 3-D model visualization, input preparation and execution via a graphical user interface (GUI), and two-dimensional (2D) plotting of results are discussed. Introduction The SCALE (Standardized Computer Analyses for Licensing Evaluations) computer software system developed at Oak Ridge National Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is widely used and accepted around the world for criticality safety analyses. SCALE includes the well-known KENO V.a and KENOVI threedimensional (3-D) Monte Carlo criticality computer codes. The purpose of this paper is to present the status of current development efforts in the areas of 3-D model visualization, input preparation via a graphical user interface (GUI) design, and two-dimensional (2-D) plotting of results, to continue to enhance SCALE for criticality safety analysis. KENO3D Criticality safety analyses often require detailed modeling of complex geometries. Checking the accuracy of these models can be enhanced by effective visualization tools. To address this need, ORNL has recently developed a powerful state-of-the-art visualization tool called KENO3D. KENO3D enables KENO V.a and KENO VI users to interactively display their 3-D geometry models. The interactive options include Shaded or wireframe images Standard views, such as top view, side view, front view, and isometric (3-D) view Rotating the model Zooming in on selected locations Selecting parts of the model to display Editing colors and displaying legends Displaying properties of any unit in the model Creating cutaway views Removing units from the model Printing image or saving image to common graphics formats KENO3D reads existing CSAS/KENO V.a or CSAS6/KENO VI input files. It attempts to verify that the KENO geometry input conforms to the code input guidelines. KENO3D prints a warning message for illegal geometry input, and if possible, it displays the illegal KENO V.a geometry to facilitate debugging of the input. Problems with up to 120,000 KENO V.a bodies have been successfully tested and displayed. Display of a sample light water reactor (LWR) fuel assembly shipping container model is shown in Figure 1. KENO3D has several unique options that provide users with increased flexibility in visualizing portions of the model in greater detail. One option is an interactive block eraser. The user drags the eraser to the desired location by holding down the left mouse button, and then clicks on the eraser button to remove the part of the model under the eraser. Another option is referred to as “rebuild in window.” With this option the user can draw a window around a portion of the model in the view. KENO3D will then reload the model, displaying only the portion that is in the window. This option is useful when displaying smaller parts of a complicated model. Figure 1. KENO3D sample LWR shipping container. Toolbars KENO3D has the look and feel of a typical PC Windows application. Toolbar buttons are included for all major menu options. A setup dialog allows the user to specify toolbars that should be displayed. The default is to display all toolbars. Toolbars can be "undocked" and placed anywhere on the desktop. Changes to toolbar settings and background colors can be made permanent or temporary. The toolbars and their functionality are described below.