Document Type
Thesis - Open Access
Award Date
2025
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department / School
Mechanical Engineering
First Advisor
Gregory Michna
Abstract
The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) aims to advance understanding of neutrino properties using large liquid Argon time projection chambers (LArTPCs). The ProtoDUNE-II Horizontal Drift (HD) detector, constructed at CERN in Switzerland, serves as 1:20 scale prototype to validate design and operational parameters for DUNE’s Far Detectors. Accurate prediction of cryostat thermal behavior is critical to predicting liquid Argon purity distributions and detector performance, motivating the development of a validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. This research extends previous work at South Dakota State University by constructing a higher-fidelity CFD simulation of ProtoDUNE-II HD using Siemens Simcenter StarCCM+® 19.04.007. Geometry derived from detailed CAD data was simplified into solid and porous domains to balance computational cost and accuracy. The model employs the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations with a k-ω SST turbulence model and the Boussinesq approximation to capture buoyancy-driven flow. Verification and validation were conducted through grid and iterative convergence studies, and comparison with experimental temperature data obtained from the Valencia and Hawaii probe arrays. Results demonstrate that geometric features such as insulation membrane corrugations, inlet manifold inclusion, and variations in inlet temperature significantly affect overall temperature gradients within the detector. Increasing the liquid Argon level produced the closest agreement with experimental data, while verification and validation confirmed physically consistent behavior, though total uncertainty exceeded the desired ±5 mK temperature constraint due to experimental noise variations and modeling simplifications. The developed ProtoDUNE-II HD CFD simulation provides an improved foundation for simulating large-scale cryogenic detectors. The insights gained from this study will guide future model refinement studies and inform predictive simulations for the DUNE Far Detector, supporting efforts to optimize detector stability and measurement accuracy.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Neutrinos.
Neutrino interactions.
Detectors.
Computational fluid dynamics.
Publisher
South Dakota State University
Recommended Citation
Wallster, Hunter, "Quantitative Assessment and Validation of Thermal Profiles in the ProtoDUNE-II Horizontal Drift Detector Using Computational Fluid Dynamics" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1870.
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd2/1870
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