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Simcenter STAR-CCM+

Driving innovation in nuclear energy with simulation

January 22, 2025

As global pressures intensify to lower emissions, energy organizations are under immense scrutiny–from investors, governments and communities to improve sustainability and align their operations to net-zero goals. Given the asset-heavy nature of the industry, cutting emissions has become a necessary responsibility. In fact, the electric power sector accounts for about 30% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the US. (Source)

Of course, sustainability is not the only issue affecting the energy industry. Rising prices, growing geopolitical tensions, and technological advancements are impacting businesses on many levels, transforming how energy will be stored, distributed and used in the coming decade.

To those prepared to adapt, this pace of change and complexity is a welcome opportunity to innovate. Finding the path forward requires energy organizations to rethink their digital strategy and invest in emerging technologies. According to research, if brought to scale, digital technologies could reduce emissions by 20% by 2050 in the three highest-emitting sectors: energy, materials, and mobility.

 

Nuclear power: A clean energy source

When it comes to low-carbon fuel sources, nuclear power is finding more takers in the global shift toward clean energy. Its appeal lies in offering a clean, carbon-free energy that can meet the electricity demands of asset-intensive industries and potentially offer a solution to the climate crisis.

According to research by statista.com, as of May 2024, there were about 440 nuclear reactors in operation in 32 countries around the world. According to the report, the US had the largest number of nuclear reactors in operation at the time, at 94 units. Most recently, leading tech companies, such as Microsoft and Google, have joined the bandwagon, investing in nuclear energy to meet the growing energy demands of their data centers.

Despite nuclear power’s immense potential, challenges remain, such as the high costs of meeting nuclear power safety regulations. For energy companies, the burden of keeping up with stringent regulations while ensuring safety measures, maintaining compliance and integrating new technologies with existing systems can be daunting. Small modular reactors (SMRs) are seen as a cost-effective way to scale up nuclear power.

According to the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit, which is about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors. Being smaller in size, SMRs can be prefabricated, or built in a factory and then shipped and installed on-site, which in turn will reduce construction timelines and make the project delivery more streamlined and efficient.

 

Advanced simulation for nuclear energy

The adoption of advanced simulation technologies can help nuclear companies bring the desired energy efficiency and improvements in nuclear power plant operations. A physics-based digital twin can be used to model how the materials and systems will perform over time, detect issues early in the design phase and test various techniques, even in the post-sealed state. Furthermore, by having a virtual twin of the nuclear power plant, companies can minimize the need for extensive testing, the main reason for high costs, and accelerate design cycles significantly.

Siemens Simcenter offers a broad range of system simulation capabilities to virtually design nuclear power reactors–boosting design efficiency right from the early development stages to the final operational stages. Simcenter STAR-CCM+ is a 3D physics-based simulation platform comprising computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) capabilities. Your teams can model complex materials and fluid-structure interactions and predict the performance of systems and components exposed to flow. An integrated approach to design and engineering ultimately helps improve the performance of the nuclear power plant equipment and streamline processes while enabling teams to try out new designs and concepts.

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Key features of STAR-CCM+

– Boost productivity with a fully integrated user interface
– Reduce simulation preparation times with automated meshing and pre-processing of complex geometries
– Leverage powerful automation to run even the most complex multiphysics CFD simulations

 

Ready to learn more about how your company can utilize powerful simulation tools to increase efficiency and innovation? Reach out to one of our energy experts.

What our energy clients have to say

“When you partner with Applied CAx, you tap into the transformative technology of Siemens solutions combined with the deep industry knowledge and expertise of Applied consultants to address your unique challenges. We recommend Star-CCM+  to deliver top-notch CFD capabilities so your teams can accelerate time to market while modeling the complexity of products and materials in the nuclear industry.”

Matthew Welsh
Vice President, Chief Information Officer at X-Energy

 

It’s time to unleash your potential

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