Next Generation Workflow Automation

A case study of leveraging Galaxy Workflow Automation to enable rapid design iteration

In the rapidly evolving field of fusion power plant design, teams must juggle a multitude of simulation codes, massive datasets, and a wide range of input parameters. Traditional methods often require large teams and months of iterative work to integrate diverse tools and validate results. At nTtau Digital, we recognised these challenges and leveraged Galaxy’s robust, open-source workflow platform to automate and streamline our simulation processes.

The Challenge of Complex Simulation Integration

Fusion reactor design relies on a suite of specialised open-source codes - such as OpenMC for neutron transport, and MOOSE for multiphysics. Each code has its own input and output conventions, file formats, and computational requirements. Manually coordinating these tools is error-prone and inhibits rapid iteration, especially when performing large parameter sweeps to explore design spaces.

Seamless Galaxy Integration

By harnessing Galaxy’s intuitive workflow editor and comprehensive provenance tracking, our team has helped clients cut analysis time by up to 50% and eliminate manual errors caused by the manual handoff of simulation files. We install each containerised tool into our Galaxy instance, mapping expected inputs and outputs, then rigorously test each component in isolation. Once validated, tools are chained together in the Galaxy workflow editor, allowing us to orchestrate complex multi-step simulations with drag-and-drop ease. Galaxy’s provenance system logs every intermediate step, enabling quick debugging and transparent record-keeping for regulatory and research audits.

Figure 4: A sample workflow which takes stellarator specific inputs, demonstrating how the Galaxy visual scripting can be used to chain REGCOIL into a geometry creation script for generation of radial builds

Our Capabilities

• Toolchain Integration: OpenMC, MOOSE, STELLOPT, REGCOIL, CAD (Paramak and in-house scripts), and bespoke magnetics code are all automated within Galaxy workflows.

• Scalability: Workflows exploit high-performance computing resources to perform parameter sweeps across hundreds or thousands of design points, adjusting reactor geometry, field configurations, and material properties in parallel.

• Provenance & Debugging: Detailed logs and intermediate outputs are captured for each workflow step, with pass/fail status indicators and the ability to extract any stage for post-mortem analysis.

• API-Driven Automation: Beyond the web interface, workflows can be launched programmatically, facilitating integration with external optimisation engines, AI modules, or larger automation pipelines.

  
  

Driving Future Innovation

This Galaxy-based framework has already accelerated fusion core design cycles for all of our customers, reducing manual coordination and enabling rapid exploration of new reactor concepts. Our aim is to close the gap between computational experimentation and actionable design insights across the digital engineering space.