A real-time nuclear reactor physics simulator built in Unity 6 using DOTS (Data-Oriented Technology Stack) and Entity Component System (ECS) architecture with Burst-compiled systems. Reproduces the 01:23:40 power excursion from April 26, 1986.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Individual neutron simulation | Neutron entities with real-time collision detection and state transitions |
| ECS Systems Architecture | 13+ Burst-compiled systems handling reactor physics in parallel |
| Real-time reactor calculations | Core temperature, pressure, void coefficient, and reactivity modeling |
| Interactive control systems | Manual/automatic control rod operation with 5-group rod banks |
Neutron Dynamics
- Fast and thermal neutron states with real-time collision detection
- Neutron multiplication through fission events
- Neutron absorption by control rods and xenon
Uranium Fuel Dynamics
- Three uranium states: inactive (0), reactive (1), and xenon-poisoned (2)
- Fission chain reactions spawning 3 neutrons per collision
- Random probability of continued reactivity vs. xenon production
Xenon-135 Poisoning
- Neutron-absorbing fission product accumulation
- Automatic xenon counting system
- Reactor poisoning effects on neutron multiplication
Positive Void Coefficient
- Steam formation reducing neutron moderation
- Void fraction calculations based on core temperature and pressure
Control Rod Mechanics
- Manual slider control for each group
- Automatic rod movement based on neutron levels (>40 neutrons triggers insertion)
- Emergency SCRAM function (immediate full insertion)
Thermal Hydraulics
- Core temperature calculation based on neutron flux
- Pressure dynamics from steam formation
- Coolant temperature modeling with cooling system effects
Real-time Reactor Parameters
- Neutron count display
- Core temperature monitoring
- Pressure gauge
- Reactivity meter
- Reactor period calculation
- Void fraction tracking
- Manual SCRAM button
- Automatic reactor shutdown conditions
- Manual Control: Individual control rod group sliders
- Automatic Control: System-managed rod positioning based on neutron levels
- Emergency SCRAM: Immediate full rod insertion
- Coolant System: Water cooling with adjustable flow rates
- UraniumSpawnerSystem - Initial fuel rod grid generation
- NeutronSpawnerSystem - Neutron entity creation with void coefficient effects
- NeutronMovingSystem - Neutron movement and collision detection
- UraniumActivationSystem - Random uranium activation for chain reactions
- NeutronCounterSystem - Real-time neutron tracking
- XenonCounterSystem - Xenon-135 accumulation monitoring
- RodMovementSystem - Control rod positioning (manual/automatic)
- WaterCoolingSystem - Coolant circulation simulation
- ColorChangeSystem - Visual state indication for uranium
- NeutronDeletionSystem - Neutron cleanup and lifecycle management
- WaterSpawnerSystem - Coolant grid initialization
- RodSpawnerSystem - Control rod placement
- ModeratorSpawnerSystem - Moderator rod deployment
- Grid-based reactor core: Configurable rows/columns for uranium placement
- Collision detection: Distance-based neutron-uranium interactions
- State management: Component data for all reactor elements
- Performance optimization: Burst compilation for all physics systems
This project was inspired by the Higgsino Physics video: Chernobyl Visually Explained