How to Deliver the Goods Through Application of Quality Assurance Principles

SPEAKER:

DAREN JENSEN

DATE/TIME:

MON, 10/30/2019 - 6:00PM TO 7:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Fall 2019 Colloquium Series

Abstract:

This colloquium will discuss why it is important to embrace quality assurance principles for research programs in order to create a competitive advantage, enhance the research reputation, and gain customer confidence: “delivering the goods”.

About the Speaker:

Mr. Daren Jensen is the owner of Optimum Performance Solutions consulting and has over thirty-three years of experience in managing and implementing complex nuclear quality assurance programs and providing consulting services. He is the former QA Manager for the Nuclear Energy University Programs (NEUP) and is the current QA Program Manager for the Idaho National Laboratory where he led the effort in preparing for and achieving the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Nuclear Quality Assurance (NQA-1) certification for the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) QA program. He has a B.S in Physics from Idaho State University and an M.S in Industrial Safety from the University of Idaho. He is a Six Sigma Blackbelt and a certified Quality Management System Lead Auditor. Mr. Jensen is the Chair of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) NQA-1 Applications Subcommittee and a Member of the NQA-1 Executive and Standard (Main) Committees.

October 21, 2019November 21, 2019

The Single Volume Camera Project Overview

SPEAKER:

Melinda Sweeny

DATE/TIME:

MON, 10/21/2019 - 4:00PM TO 5:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Fall 2019 Colloquium Series

Co-Hosted with NSSC

Abstract:

The Single Volume Scatter Camera (SVSC) Collaboration is multi-institution effort lead by Sandia National Laboratories to develop portable neutron imaging systems for a variety of applications in non-proliferation and arms control. Current state-of-the-art kinematic neutron imaging systems consist of distributed scintillator volumes in which the position, time, and energy of multiple interactions are used to reconstruct a neutron’s incoming direction. Such systems suffer from poor geometrical efficiency and are ultimately limited in performance by the size of the individual scintillator cells. The SVSC project aims to improve the geometrical efficiency by up to an order magnitude by reconstructing multiple neutron interactions within the same scintillator volume. The concept, overall program goals, and current progress up to date will be presented.

About the Speaker:

Melinda Sweeny is staff member at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, California. She received her Ph.D in physics from the University of California at Davis in 2011, specializing in experimental particle physics. Over the last ten years, she has participated in the research and development of a variety of detection methods and systems for the search and characterization of radiological material, including: border monitoring with a water-based neutron detector, neutrino detection for reactor monitoring, source localization using neutron emissions with double-scatter imaging, and neutron imaging with coded aperture techniques. Her recent work includes detector development for the optically-segmented Single Volume Scatter Camera and Silicon Photomultiplier readout of the scintillator-based detection system.

October 14, 2019April 19, 2022

Status of the Versatile Test Reactor program

SPEAKER:

FLORENT HEIDET

Manager, Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems group

DATE/TIME:

MON, 10/14/2019 - 4:00PM TO 5:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Fall 2019 Colloquium Series

Abstract:

The Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) program is aiming at designing and building an advanced test reactor in the U.S. within 10 years. This reactor will bridge the current capability gap in irradiation capabilities, effectively supporting development of all types of advanced reactors through enabling accelerated material and fuel testing. At this stage, the VTR is a 300 MWth sodium-cooled fast reactor using metallic fuel bearing plutonium. It allows achieving fast flux in excess of 4x10¹⁵ n/cm², offers very large irradiation volumes, and permit concurrent use of up to four coolant types through the cartridge loops. The state of the project, its origin, and an overview of the design activities will be discussed.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Florent Heidet is a principal nuclear engineer and manager of the Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems group at Argonne National Laboratory. Florent’s interest is in development of advanced nuclear reactors and enabling their construction. He is the manager for the core design activities of the Versatile Test Reactor, and the Argonne program manager for the Transformational Challenge Reactor. Florent has also initiated the modeling & simulation and analysis activities related to Molten Salt Reactor at Argonne. He obtained his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in 2010.

October 7, 2019April 19, 2022

Designing, modeling, and executing experiments at the Annular Core Research Reactor

SPEAKER:

PERRY CHODASH

DATE/TIME:

MON, 09/18/2019 - 4:00PM TO 5:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Fall 2019 Colloquium Series

Abstract:

After a 35-year hiatus, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is executing a series of experiments looking at the thermostructural response of materials at the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR). The purpose of these experiments is to help validate a radiation transport code and a finite element structural code used at the laboratory. The radiation transport was modeled using the Monte Carlo radiation transport code, Mercury. The energy deposition from the Mercury simulation was then input into the finite element code, Diablo, to model the thermal diffusion and structural response. Preliminary results from these simulations and experiments will be presented.

About the Speaker:

Perry Chodash is a design physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He received an M.S. and Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 2011 and 2015, respectively. He completed his doctoral research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he set a limit on the nuclear excitation by electronic transition rate in U-235. His current research is in the areas of radiation transport and modeling the thermostructural response of materials due to intense radiation pulses.

October 2, 2019November 21, 2019

The Hertz Foundation Fellowship

Eligibility

Eligible applicants for Hertz Fellowships must be students of the applied physical and biological sciences, mathematics, and engineering who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States of America, and who are willing to morally commit to make their skills available to the United States in time of national emergency (see our Moral Commitment section). College seniors wishing to pursue the PhD degree in any of the fields of particular interest to the Foundation, as well as graduate students already in the process of doing so, may apply. We generally do not award fellowships to students who are already beyond their first year of graduate study except in cases of "exceptional leverage." Such awards are very rare—only three have been made in the past 10 years.

THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS APPLY:

(1) Only applicants who propose to complete a program of graduate study leading to a PhD degree are eligible. Applications are accepted both from students in the final year of their bachelor’s program and from those who have already commenced graduate study. Please note that applications from students currently beyond their first year of graduate school are only considered favorably in cases where exceptional research leverage can be demonstrated.

(2) The proposed field of graduate study must be directed toward the understanding and solving of problems associated with contemporary human concern, using applications of knowledge from the physical and biological sciences, mathematics, engineering and computer science.

(3) Evidence of exceptional creativity, broad understanding of physical principles, and outstanding potential for innovative research is expected.

(4) Citizenship or Permanent Residency in the United States is required. If you are not a US citizen, we will ask to see proof of Application for Citizenship or your Permanent Resident card when you are interviewed.

(5) Eligible applicants must also morally commit to make their skills available to the United States in times of national emergency (see Moral Commitment section.)

We do not support students pursuing advanced professional degrees other than the PhD, such as enrollees in MD, LLD, public health, veterinary medicine, descriptive biology, nor MBA programs, although we will support the PhD portion of a joint MD/PhD study program. For a list of general fields of study in which Graduate Fellowships are offered by the Foundation, see Fields of Study.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR:

Evidence of exceptional creativity, broad understanding of physical principles, and outstanding potential for innovative research is expected.

Applicants are screened for qualities we believe are essential ingredients of future professional accomplishment and/or leading indicators of future professional success. These include:

Exceptional Intelligence and Creativity with particular emphasis on those aspects pertinent to technical endeavors.
Excellent Technical Education evidenced not only by transcripts and reference reports from senior technical professionals, but also through an in-person, technical interview.
Orientation and Commitment to the applications of the physical sciences as is typical of most applicants.
Extraordinary Accomplishment in technical or related professional studies which may offset slightly lower academic records or add luster to outstanding ones.
High moral and ethical values
Leverage demonstration of the difference the award of the Hertz Fellowship is likely to make in the kind, quality, and/or personal creativity of the student's graduate research.

Anti-Discrimination Notice: The Hertz Foundation does not discriminate against any individual on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.