Welcome!

Nuclear Reactor Analysis & Methods

Welcome to the Nuclear Reactor Analysis and Methods (NuRAM) website.

Our group specializes in computational reactor physics. This includes methods development and reactor analysis. As I like to say, “We develop the methods that are used to develop reactors”. We specialize in modeling and simulation that involves neutronics and multiphysics, and lately we’ve made contributions to autonomous control, digital twins, virtual reality, and the application of data-driven methods to nuclear engineering problems.

To learn more, and if you’re interested in joining our group, checkout our lab guide. NuRAM_Lab_Guidebook

Latest News

We’re in the news! Check us out.

We graduated 4 PhD’s in 2024! Congratulations to

  • Thomas Folk,
  • Marisol Garrouste,
  • Dean Price, and
  • Kyle Vaughn!

Thomas is now at INL working with NRIC. Marisol has moved on to working at NREL. Dean is the Russel L. Heath Distinguished Postdoctoral Associate at INL. Kyle joined the XCP-2 group at Los Alamos.

  1. Vaughn, K. (2024) Automated Mesh Generation for Arbitrary Geometry in 2D Method of Characteristics Neutron Transport (Doctoral Dissertation) University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. https://dx.doi.org/10.7302/25063
  2. Garrouste, M. (2024) Techno-Economic Analyses for Non-electric Applications of Nuclear Power (Doctoral Dissertation) University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. https://dx.doi.org/10.7302/24935
  3. Folk, T. (2024). Two-Step Reactor Analysis Cross Section Models and Optimal Construction Techniques (Doctoral Dissertation) University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. https://dx.doi.org/10.7302/24086
  4. Price, D. (2024). Multiphysics and Data-Driven Modeling for the Design of Autonomous Control and Digital Twinning in Nuclear Microreactors (Doctoral Dissertation) University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. https://dx.doi.org/10.7302/23799

Recent Publications

2024 was pretty good year. Check out the publications below (also why can’t publishers standardize article metadata for citations?).

  1. Choi, S., & Kochunas, B. (2025). Coarse mesh finite difference acceleration of the random ray method. Annals of Nuclear Energy, 210, 110848. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ANUCENE.2024.110848
  2. Jeon, S., & Kochunas, B. (2024). Verification and Validation of the VANGARD Pinwise Nodal Code with Analyses of BEAVRS. Nuclear Science and Engineering, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2024.2421095
  3. Price, D., Roskoff, N., Radaideh, M. I., & Kochunas, B. (2024). Multiphysics Modeling of Heat Pipe Microreactor with Critical Control Drum Position Search. Nuclear Science and Engineering, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2024.2409582
  4. Price, D., Barrowes, L., Wells, J., & Kochunas, B. (2024). Calculation of Isotope-Specific Fission Rates for Neutrino Source Calculation in PWR Fuel Diversion Safeguarding. Nuclear Technology, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2024.2369476
  5. Kinast, S., Price, D., Filippone, C., & Kochunas, B. (2024). Parametric Sensitivity Analysis of Stability Margins of Holos-Quad Microreactor. Nuclear Science and Engineering, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2024.2352661
  6. Kochunas, B., Seker, V., & Ward, A. (2024). Triangular polynomial expansion nodal method in AGREE. Annals of Nuclear Energy, 206, 110632. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ANUCENE.2024.110632
  7. Price, D., Radaideh, M. I., & Kochunas, B. (2024). Simplified matching pursuits applied to 3D nuclear reactor temperature distribution construction. Applied Mathematical Modelling, 131, 134–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.APM.2024.04.011
  8. Folk, T., Srivastava, S., Price, D., Garikipati, K., & Kochunas, B. (2024). Analytic Error Analysis of the Partial Derivatives Cross-Section Model—I: Derivation. Nuclear Science and Engineering, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2023.2288308
  9. Folk, T., Srivastava, S., Price, D., Garikipati, K., & Kochunas, B. (2024). Analytic Error Analysis of the Partial Derivatives Cross-Section Model—II: Numerical Results. Nuclear Science and Engineering, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2024.2303544

About

There are two main areas of research for the NuRAM group. First, Prof. Downar, with several students, have developed and maintained the PARCS Nodal Simulator since 1996. PARCS is the primary neutronics auditing tool use by the US Nuclear Regulator Commission for reactor licensing and evaluation. More information can be found on the PARCS page. The second area of research is centered around MPACT. MPACT is an advanced, full core, 3D, transport solver. Originally developed by Prof. Kochunas for PWR analysis. MPACT is developed by several students and staff between University of Michigan and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

We are adding content as time permits, but we hope this page will be useful. NuRAM is lead by Prof. Brendan Kochunas (and Prof. Tom Downar–who is transitioning to retirement).

Recent Updates to the Site

  • This page.
  • Updated Dissertations
  • Updated journal articles, conference proceedings, and transactions

Coming soon…

We hope to add some content along the following lines soon.

  • Technical Reports
  • More details on projects…
  • More details on courses…
  • More details on people