NC State Nuclear Engineering Faculty Win Ten (10) U.S. Department of Energy Research Awards

Congratulations to all awardees!
More than $65 million in nuclear energy research, cross-cutting technology development, facility access, and infrastructure awards for 93 advanced nuclear technology projects in 28 states were recently announced. These awards fall under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear energy programs — the Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP), the Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET), and the Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF).

NC State nuclear engineering-specific awards, totaling close to $4.5 million, include –

Research & Development Awards
  1. Ge Yang (PI) and Mohamed Bourham (Co-PI) – in FC-4.2: Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition: Storage & Transportation, “FC Flexible Hard Ceramic Coatings by Ultrasonic Spray Mist-CVD for Dry Storage Canisters of Spent Nuclear Fuel and Waste”, $800,000.00
  2. Stephen Terry (PI) and J Michael Doster (Co-PI) – in NE-2 Integrated Energy Systems Design & Modeling, “Creation of Multiple Effect Evaporator and Combined Cycle Modelica Modules, and Optimization of Potable Water Generation from Saltwater Sources”, $498,532.00. INL Collaborator: Konor Frick.
  3. Maria Avramova (PI) and Kostadin Ivanov (Co-PI) – Integral Benchmark Evaluations (MSNE-1), “Benchmark Evaluation of Transient Multi-Physics Experimental Data for Pellet Cladding Mechanical Interactions”, $400,000.00
  1. Djamel Kaoumi (PI)and Alexander Bataller (Co-PI) – in RC-9: Elucidating how water chemistry affects the corrosion sensitivity of pristine stainless steel in nuclear power plants, “Corrosion Sensitivity of Stainless Steels in Pressurized Water Reactor Water Chemistry: Can KOH replace LiOH in PWRs?” $800,000
Infrastructure Grants

General Scientific Infrastructure

  1. Tasnim Hassan (PI), L. Murty, Ge Yang, Djamel Kaoumi, Jacob Eapen (Co-PIs) – in General Scientific Infrastructure Support, ” Development of an In-Situ Testing Laboratory for Research and Education of Very High Temperature Reactor Materials”, $261,175
Integrated Research Projects Awards
  1. Igor Bolotnov and Nam Dinh(Co-PIs) (with Elia Merzari – Penn State University as PI) – in IRP NEAMS 1.1: Thermal-Fluids Applications in Nuclear Energy, “Center of Excellence for Thermal-Fluids Applications in Nuclear Energy: Establishing the knowledgebase for thermal-hydraulic multiscale simulation to accelerate the deployment of advanced reactors”, NCSU part over $600,000
  2. Ayman Hawari (Co-PI) (with Charles Forsberg – MIT as PI) – in IRP Reactor Concepts, “Molten Salt Reactor Test Bed with Neutron Irradiation”, NCSU share is $ 1,300,000
Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) Awards

Joint R&D with NSUF Access

  1. Ayman Hawari – the PULSTAR is the irradiation facility for an NEUP NSUF proposal with James J. Wall as PI from EPRI, NSUF 1.1, “Irradiation of Sensors and Adhesive Couplants for Application in LWR Primary Loop Piping and Components”, NCSU share is $220,000

Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF)

  1. Djamel Kaoumi (PI) – in NSUF-2.1: CORE AND STRUCTURAL MATERIALS, “Synergy of radiation damage with corrosion processes through a separate effect investigation approach”
  2. K.L. Murty (PI) – NSUF 2.1 (Core and Structural Materials), “Effect of neutron irradiation on microstructure and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline nickel”

More than $65 million in nuclear energy research, cross-cutting technology development, facility access, and infrastructure awards for 93 advanced nuclear technology projects in 28 states were announced today. The awards fall under US Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear energy programs called the Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP), the Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET), and the Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF).

“Advancing the next generation of nuclear energy is paramount to ensuring reliable, clean electricity for the American people. If we are serious about making substantial progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, then emissions-free nuclear energy must be a part of that conversation,” said Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette. “The Trump Administration recognizes the importance of nuclear energy, and through these 93 projects spread across 28 different states, we remain wholly committed to revitalizing our most reliable form of energy.”

“Investments in programs like this help strengthen American leadership in nuclear innovation by supporting the development of the next generation of talent,” said Dr. Rita Baranwal, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy. “DOE is committed to ensuring that researchers have access to cutting-edge infrastructure and lab capabilities to develop advanced nuclear technologies.”

Further details @ https://neup.inl.gov/Lists/Headlines/