Magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium and neutronics study on MAST-U using Jenga framework

TL;DR

This paper presents Jenga, a unified framework for tokamak design that integrates equilibrium and neutronics analyses, validated on MAST-U data, enabling comprehensive multi-physics simulations.

Contribution

The work introduces Jenga as a novel integrated platform combining equilibrium and neutronics modeling for tokamaks, demonstrated on MAST-U with validation against existing codes.

Findings

Jenga accurately reproduces plasma shape and flux using EFIT++ data.

Neutronics analysis shows neutron flux distribution across energy spectrum.

Jenga effectively couples multi-physics models for comprehensive tokamak analysis.

Abstract

Tokamak design is inherently challenging due to several cross-competing effects which require a careful and calibrated treatment to obtain an optimal operational envelope. Incorporating physics across varied fidelities is crucial in this exercise. Jenga is developed as a unified design and modeling framework for tokamaks, seamlessly coupling systems-level studies to high-fidelity models based on first principles. In this work, static Grad-Shafranov (GS) equilibrium for an entire pulse and the neutronics study of the Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak Upgrade (MAST-U) tokamak are carried out in Jenga. Coil currents and plasma profiles from the EFIT++ reconstruction of MAST-U shots are used to reproduce the plasma poloidal flux and shape targets at different time slices. The results from Jenga are also in good agreement with FreeGSNKE and Fiesta codes. Neutronics analysis is performed for a hypothetical 50-50 mixture of deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel, using the same data structure as the systems and equilibrium studies. A distributed neutron source is initialized within the last closed flux surface (LCFS) of the plasma, with their strength being functions of the density and temperature of the ions. The distribution of the neutron flux across the energy spectrum is computed for the active coils and the first wall (limiter) independently over multiple scenarios. We demonstrate the capabilities of Jenga with a comprehensive analysis that takes inputs about the plasma geometry, tokamak design and plasma profiles and performs 0D, 2D and 3D numerics for the systems study, equilibrium and neutron transport respectively.