VISION: Verifiable Fuel Cycle Simulation

Modeling the nuclear fuel cycle involves numerous variables and complexities, from mining to waste disposal. VISION simplifies this process by offering a powerful system dynamics model that allows users to forecast and simulate every stage of the nuclear fuel cycle while customizing key parameters like fuel recipes and recycling matrices.

Nuclear engineers often rely on tools to model the lifecycle of nuclear materials, from resource extraction to waste management. Traditional spreadsheet models lack the capability to handle the complexity of these simulations, while more advanced tools like Cyclus require a steep learning curve and programming knowledge. VISION fills this gap, providing an accessible yet powerful tool for modeling the full spectrum of nuclear fuel cycle operations and transitions.

The Verifiable Fuel Cycle Simulation (VISION) is built on the PowerSim platform and is designed to model the entire nuclear fuel cycle, from resource mining through waste disposal. VISION allows users to define deployment scenarios, fuel recipes, and recycling processes, adapting the simulation to different operational realities. Its system-dynamics approach accounts for facility lifecycles and operations over time, offering insights into long-term strategies like transitioning between fuel cycles or phasing out nuclear operations. VISION integrates seamlessly with MS Excel, making it easy to manage data inputs and outputs while also providing graphical access to its source code for advanced customization.

Advantages:

• Models the entire nuclear fuel cycle, from resource extraction to waste disposal.
• Customizable deployment scenarios and recycling parameters for detailed scenario analysis.
• Easier to use than advanced simulations like Cyclus, but far more powerful than traditional spreadsheet models.
• Supports MS Excel for data import/export, simplifying data management.
• Flexible, allowing users to tweak both scenario parameters and model logic.

Applications:

• Simulating nuclear fuel cycle transitions and phase-out scenarios.
• Assessing deployment strategies for nuclear facilities.
• Long-term forecasting of nuclear resource use and waste disposal needs.
• Researching new fuel recipes and recycling matrices for various nuclear fuel cycles.

This software is open source and available at no cost. Download now by visiting the product's GitHub page.