Dr. Eric Loewen
Chief Consulting Engineer for Advanced Plants Technology
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy

Abstract

Provide an overview of GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s current commercial efforts on GE’s sodium fast reactor called PRISM.  Commercially, GEH is involved with nuclear power plant construction, servicing the existing fleet and producing nuclear fuel.  GEH has a history with sodium fast reactors and our most current design is called PRISM.  PRISM was developed from the U.S. sodium cooled fast reactor investigations from 1984 through 1994.  The PRISM features of fuel type, basis design, and safety will be discussed.  An overview of the PRISM design will be provided.

Biography 

Eric Loewen is Chief Consulting Engineer for Advanced Plants Technology for GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, headquartered in Wilmington, NC.  Eric began his technical career graduating from Western State College in Gunnison, CO, with a Bachelors degree in Math and Chemistry, then served six years in the Nuclear Navy.  Eric left the Navy to pursue a higher degree in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Wisconsin. After attaining his M.S. in Nuclear Engineering in 1992, Eric joined Molten Metal Technology, a high-tech waste processing firm, spearheading and developing their nuclear applications in waste disposal as the Director of Research.

In 1997 Eric returned to Wisconsin to attain his Ph.D. in Engineering Physics, he joined the Idaho National Laboratory to work on development of a lead-bismuth cooled reactor and the proliferation-resistant fuel using thoria-urania as part of the international Generation IV nuclear power program.  He also supported the President’s Climate Change Technology Program.

In 2005 Dr. Loewen was selected as the American Nuclear Society’s Congressional Fellow.  He spent the year in the office of Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) coordinating the Senator’s successful efforts to include in the Energy Act of 2005 America’s first legislation addressing global climate change. He has worked at GEH since 2006