SCONE Guide

❮ ExtensionsSimple Examples ❯

SCONE Verification Notice

SCONE is a research-oriented code with a smaller user base than MCNP, OpenMC, or SERPENT. Our examples are intended as educational guidance. For authoritative syntax, physics options, and nuclear data requirements, consult the official documentation.

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SCONE Examples

Overview of example pages and key block-style patterns

Example Pages

Finish Installation, Basics, and Simple Examples before assembly or shielding pages. SCONE examples are organized into four block-style pages: Simple Examples (pin + bare-sphere stand-in), Reactor Examples (assemblies and core excerpts), BEAVRS (full-core PWR spec), and Shielding Examples (fixed source); for deep shielding, MCNP's VR is stronger.

Key Block-Style Patterns

SCONE uses block-style syntax. These snippets show the core patterns. Do not use geometry cartesian, material N temperature=..., settings blocks, or ... end terminators.

The first three snippets are exact excerpts from tutorial_examples_hub_testlib (same lines as the verified deck below). The fourth uses production ZAIDs and a placeholder ACE path — not in run_all.ps1.

Physics package (criticality)

tutorial_examples_hub_testlib (lines 5–15)
// Verified: export SCONE_ACE=IntegrationTestFiles/testLib
// ===================================================================
type eigenPhysicsPackage;
pop      10000;
active   50;
inactive 20;
XSdata   ce;
dataType ce;

collisionOperator { neutronCE { type neutronCEstd; } }
transportOperator { type transportOperatorDT; }
caalh/ReactorMCBrowse filesscone-examples/verify/tutorial_examples_hub_testlib

Verify harness (testLib + run_all.ps1)

Geometry block

tutorial_examples_hub_testlib (lines 33–45)
geometry {
  type geometryStd;
  boundary (0 0 0 0 0 0);
  graph { type shrunk; }
  surfaces {
    cellBound { id 5; type zSquareCylinder; origin (0.0 0.0 0.0); halfwidth (0.63 0.63 0.0); }
  }
  cells { }
  universes {
    root { id 1; type rootUniverse; border 5; fill u<31000>; }
    pin  { id 31000; type pinUniverse; radii (0.39218 0.40005 0.45720 0.0); fills (fuel gap clad water); }
  }
}
caalh/ReactorMCBrowse filesscone-examples/verify/tutorial_examples_hub_testlib

Verify harness (testLib + run_all.ps1)

Active tally (fission map)

tutorial_examples_hub_testlib (lines 17–31)
inactiveTally {}

activeTally {
  fissionRate {
    type collisionClerk;
    response (fission);
    fission { type macroResponse; MT -6; }
    map {
      type multiMap;
      maps (xax yax);
      xax { type spaceMap; axis x; grid lin; N 64; min -0.63; max 0.63; }
      yax { type spaceMap; axis y; grid lin; N 64; min -0.63; max 0.63; }
    }
  }
}
caalh/ReactorMCBrowse filesscone-examples/verify/tutorial_examples_hub_testlib

Verify harness (testLib + run_all.ps1)

Nuclear data

snippet_nuclear_data.inp
nuclearData {
  handles { ce { type aceNeutronDatabase; aceLibrary /path/to/your.aceXS; } }
  materials {
    fuel  { temp 600; composition { 92235.06 7.22e-04; 92238.06 2.23e-02; 8016.06 4.59e-02; } }
    gap   { temp 600; composition { 2004.06 2.40e-04; } }
    clad  { temp 600; composition { 40090.06 5.00e-03; 40091.06 1.10e-03; 40092.06 1.70e-03; 40094.06 1.70e-03; 40096.06 2.80e-04; } }
    water { temp 600; composition { 1001.06 6.67e-02; 8016.06 3.33e-02; } }
  }
}
caalh/ReactorMCBrowse files

Excerpt / not a full harness file

The first three snippets match the verified hub file line-for-line; the fourth is a production-style nuclearData excerpt. For one runnable file that merges the hub patterns and passes verification with SCONE's IntegrationTestFiles/testLib, use the deck below (also in scone-examples/verify/tutorial_examples_hub_testlib).

tutorial_examples_hub_testlib
// ===================================================================
// Examples hub — one runnable deck combining the four pattern blocks (testLib)
// Physics + pinUniverse geometry + 2D fission map + nuclearData.
// Gap/clad materials use Water nuclides as testLib stand-ins.
// Verified: export SCONE_ACE=IntegrationTestFiles/testLib
// ===================================================================
type eigenPhysicsPackage;
pop      10000;
active   50;
inactive 20;
XSdata   ce;
dataType ce;

collisionOperator { neutronCE { type neutronCEstd; } }
transportOperator { type transportOperatorDT; }

inactiveTally {}

activeTally {
  fissionRate {
    type collisionClerk;
    response (fission);
    fission { type macroResponse; MT -6; }
    map {
      type multiMap;
      maps (xax yax);
      xax { type spaceMap; axis x; grid lin; N 64; min -0.63; max 0.63; }
      yax { type spaceMap; axis y; grid lin; N 64; min -0.63; max 0.63; }
    }
  }
}

geometry {
  type geometryStd;
  boundary (0 0 0 0 0 0);
  graph { type shrunk; }
  surfaces {
    cellBound { id 5; type zSquareCylinder; origin (0.0 0.0 0.0); halfwidth (0.63 0.63 0.0); }
  }
  cells { }
  universes {
    root { id 1; type rootUniverse; border 5; fill u<31000>; }
    pin  { id 31000; type pinUniverse; radii (0.39218 0.40005 0.45720 0.0); fills (fuel gap clad water); }
  }
}

nuclearData {
  handles { ce { type aceNeutronDatabase; aceLibrary $SCONE_ACE; } }
  materials {
    fuel  { temp 600; composition { 92235.03 4.50e-02; } }
    gap   { temp 600; composition { 1001.03 6.67e-02; 8016.03 3.33e-02; } }
    clad  { temp 600; composition { 1001.03 6.67e-02; 8016.03 3.33e-02; } }
    water { temp 600; composition { 1001.03 6.67e-02; 8016.03 3.33e-02; } }
  }
}
caalh/ReactorMCBrowse filesscone-examples/verify/tutorial_examples_hub_testlib

Verify harness (testLib + run_all.ps1)

Best Practices

Start with simple geometries and add complexity gradually. Validate each component before combining. Use consistent naming and document assumptions. Replace aceLibrary paths with your cross-section library. For large models, verify syntax against the official SCONE documentation.

Related Topics

❮ ExtensionsSimple Examples ❯