ARIES systems code development, visualization and application

The ARIES research program has utilized its comprehensive ARIES systems code (ASC) and a new graphical user interface for visualizing the parameter space as important tools in its analysis of fusion power plant designs. Recently, the ASC has undergone modifications to accommodate different divertor designs, each having unique pumping powers, helium and liquid-metal pumps thermal heat recovery, and the latest material, fabrication, and costing algorithms. The modifications and changes made to the code have been documented and verified by members of the ARIES team to ensure accuracy of implementation and self-consistency of design. The code has also been modified to display a wider range of inputs/outputs, formulas, and algorithms for a greater degree of transparency and verification. After the changes to the code were completed and the version locked, the ASC has been employed to continue to scan the physics and technology operating space for relevant power plant designs. Four corners of aggressiveness and conservativeness in both physics and technology serve as the boundaries for the scans. The Visual ARIES Systems Scanning Tool (VASST) has been used in parallel with the ASC scans to visualize the tremendous amounts of data resulting from these detailed systems scans. Displaying the data in a colorful and intuitive visual environment and giving the user explorative and visual interaction has helped extract meaningful relationships and trends from the data. Initially, broad scans from the ASC and VASST indicated areas of interest where further detail was needed. Further scans with a higher degree of detail helped enhance and further refine the database. After the final scans, VASST facilitated in displaying and filtering the large database to choose two "strawmen" data points at two of the four corners of the aggressive/conservative operating space. These points then served as reference designs so more detailed design and calculations could be done. The results of the in-depth designs assist the ASC by feeding back information into the code that can then be generalized for a wider range of operating scenarios relevant to the scanning range. This substantiates the ASC and helps mesh simple formulae with detailed design.