October 2021

October 29, 2021April 14, 2022

The Evolving Nuclear Fuel Cycle – Challenges and Opportunities

SPEAKER:

Dr. Monica Regalbuto

Idaho National Laboratory, Director, Integrated Fuel Cycle Strategy

DATE/TIME:

FRI, 10/29/2021 - 3:00PM TO 4:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Fall 2021Colloquium Series

Abstract:

The United States is pursuing an aggressive plan to combat climate change by reducing carbon emissions in which nuclear power is set to play a vital role. Accelerated development of advanced reactor designs introduce evolving nuclear fuel cycles that deviates from the commercially established light water reactor. As new fuel cycles and technologies emerge, both opportunities and challenges are presented. This presentation will cover the importance of addressing fuel cycles front-end and back-end emerging concepts to ensure the successful deployment of advance reactors.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Regalbuto is a leader in the development of nuclear fuel cycle technologies, combining her knowledge in separations, computer simulations, and proliferation risk reduction. She has over 30 years of experience in radio-isotope processing, recovery and immobilization for environmental remediation, resource conservation and medical applications. She currently leads the integrated fuel cycle strategic initiative at the Idaho National Laboratory. Dr. Regalbuto serves today as a member of (1) the Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and (2) the Standing Advisory Group on Nuclear Energy (SAGNE) at the IAEA which advises the Director General. Dr. Regalbuto has served in multiple national leadership roles. In 2015, she was appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Environmental Management for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In this capacity, she was responsible for managing the environmental cleanup resulting from weapons production as well as special nuclear materials. As the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fuel Cycle Technologies with DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, Dr. Regalbuto managed the nation’s research and development fuel cycle portfolio. At Argonne National Laboratory, Dr. Regalbuto served as the head of the Process Chemistry and Engineering Department in the Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division. She is a fellow of the American Nuclear Society and has authored multiple journal articles, reports, and presentations and holds six patents.

October 22, 2021October 19, 2021

Coherent control in intense laser matter interactions via polarization manipulation

SPEAKER:

Franklin Dollar

Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, School of Physical Sciences; Associate Professor, Department of Physics & Astronomy; University of California, Irvine

DATE/TIME:

FRI, 10/22/2021 - 3:00PM TO 4:00PM

Zoom

Fall 2021 Colloquium Series

Abstract:

High intensity laser matter interactions with short pulse durations are the epitome of extreme science, at ultrafast timescales, extremely high energy densities, and relativistic effects defining the regime. In this talk, I will examine how the laser polarization adds a further parameter for controlling these interactions, and the impact that they can have in radiation production. Experiments from tabletop to facility scale systems will be presented, along with numerical modeling.

About the Speaker:

Professor Dollar is a member of the Dry Creek Band of Pomo Indians, a UC Berkeley College of Engineering alumnus, and currently serves as the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies for the UCI School of Physical Sciences. His research focus is in high energy density laser matter interactions and the applications of such interactions for compact radiation generation.

October 15, 2021April 7, 2022

Decision Making, Communication, and Risk: the Public Opinion Equation

SPEAKER:

Jean-Pierre Beaudoin

DATE/TIME:

FRI, 10/15/2021 - 3:00PM TO 4:00PM

LOCATION:

via Zoom

Fall 2021 Colloquium Series

Abstract:

What is a « good decision »? How is that judgment made? What role does « Public Opinon » play? All these questions refer to notions that vary with time, context and culture of the population concerned.

Who is the Public? Public opinion is a generational phenomenon. It takes on average 25 years for the underlying values of society to evolve and thus change the priorities of society and its expectations towards authorities of all natures.

What is Communication? The social practice of communication changes with the emergence of new devices. Yet, that is not the essence of change. More determining are the value attached by a society to Communication per se and what the term means, from information, to conversation, to debate : an issue for leadership.

What is Risk? The acceptance of risk, the hierarchy of threats and the time-span on which both notions are considered evolve with the generations and the living experience of accidents or catastrophes.

The proposal is to put the three terms in perspective and highlight key elements affecting governance and leadership issues, as the Public expects authorities to live up to the responsibilities which it assigns to them.

About the Speaker:

Strategic counsellor for public communication since the early 1970s, Jean-Pierre Beaudoin served over the years as a consultant to multinational companies as well as to French government offices.

An Associate Professor Emeritus, he teaches at Paris Sorbonne University School for Communication (Celsa), Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and Moscow State University – Lomonossov.

He initiated the creation of the French trade organization of PR consultancies in 1988, and chaired the International Communications Consultancy Organization from 1991 until 1993.

He is the author of five books, the latest of which, published in 2017, explores the mechanisms of public opinion’s powers.

Born in 1945, Jean-Pierre graduated from Paris Sorbonne University, the Paris Institute of Political Studies – SciencesPo, and is a post-graduate alumnus of the Paris Sorbonne School for Communication (Celsa).

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Pierre_Beaudoin

October 8, 2021November 16, 2021

UCBNE students attend the 2021 Washington Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation (NESD)

UCBNE students join the 2021 Washington Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation

October 8th, 2021

The whole Washington Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation (NESD)

Sarah Stevenson (4th year Ph.D. student), Malachi Nelson (2nd year Ph.D. student) and Laura Shi (senior undergraduate) represented UCB NE at the 2021 Washington Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation (NESD) from September 26th through October 1st.

The Washington NESD is an independently organized program with the goal of allowing students studying nuclear science and engineering to acquire hands-on experience with the political process to learn how they can make a positive impact on the future of nuclear energy, policy, education, and research. This year’s delegation was composed of 17 students from 12 universities with the largest representation from UC Berkeley.

The delegation met with representatives from key institutions such as the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the American Nuclear Society, the Nuclear Energy Institute, the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, ClearPath, and ThirdWay. Members of the delegation also met with their local representatives, including Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA 13th District) to discuss the importance of investing in the future of nuclear education and energy in the Bay Area.

This experience gave delegates the opportunity to gain new perspectives on insights on the US policy-making process. The delegation also worked together to create a policy memo that conveyed the student’s views on nuclear energy, education, and research and advocated for the passage of active legislation. To read the policy memo and learn more about the delegation, please visit www.nesd.org.

Malachi Nelson, Sarah Stevenson, and Laura Shi

Sarah Stevenson after a long day of Congressional meetings on Capitol Hill

Sarah Stevenson and Laura Shi visiting the National Mall

October 8, 2021April 7, 2022

Bright Electron Sources for Ultrafast Science

SPEAKER:

Daniele Filippetto

Staff scientist

Advanced Technology and Applied Physics Division, LBNL

DATE/TIME:

FRI, 10/08/2021 - 3:00PM TO 4:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Fall 2021 Colloquium Series

Abstract:

Electron beams are powerful tools for scientific and industrial applications. Owing to their short wavelength, electrons have seen broad use in advanced instrumentation, enabling X-ray generation, real-space imaging at sub-atomic scales, enhanced resolution in nano-fabrication, high precision mechanical machining and cancer treatment to name a few.

Recent advancements in technology have enabled the generation of densely packed, ultrashort pulses of electrons. Trains of femtosecond-long, relativistic beams can now be produced at MHz repetition rates in a compact room-sized setup, opening the doors to a plethora of new applications. Among others, Ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) has established itself as a leading technique to study non-equilibrium physical systems in solid, gas and liquid phases, providing a dynamic picture of atomic motion at femtosecond time-scales.

I will first cover recent work on scientific and technological developments in high-brightness electron beam generation and radiofrequency-based production and manipulation. I will then introduce the UED technique and discuss advancements in spatio-temporal resolution, with emphasis on the work performed at HiRES, the relativistic UED setup at LBNL.

About the Speaker:

Daniele Filippetto is a staff scientist and the Deputy Director for the Berkeley Accelerator Control and Instrumentation program at LBNL.

He received a PhD in Applied Electromagnetism from the University "La Sapienza" of Rome in 2007. His research is focused on the physics and technology of electron beams and their applications, such as ultrafast electron diffraction and Free Electron Lasers.

Between 2007 and 2010 he worked at the National Institute on Nuclear Physics (INFN) on the realization of the first Italian Free Electron Laser. He joined LBNL in 2010, as a lead scientist working on a new concept of electron injector for the next generation of MHz-class Free Electron Lasers, such as the LCLS-II at SLAC.

Dr. Filippetto is the recipient of the 2014 Early Career Research Program award from the Department of Energy-Basic Energy Sciences, and spent the last few years developing relativistic ultrafast electron diffraction capabilities at LBNL

October 7, 2021October 7, 2021

Kairos submits PSAR for Oak Ridge demonstration reactor

October 5th, 2021

A rendering of the Hermes demonstration plant at Oak Ridge (Image: Kairos Power)

World Nuclear News reported an update on Kairos' progress on constructing the Hermes low-power demonstration reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. As a part of their construction permit application, the US company (co-founded by UCB Professor Per Peterson, Michael Laufer, and Edward Blandford), has submitted the preliminary safety analysis report (PSAR) for its fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR) to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

Kairos established a cooperative development agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority earlier this year, and will collaborate with Materion Corporation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, and the Electric Power Research Institute on the development and demonstration for Hermes. The development is also supported over seven years by a US Department of Energy Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program cost-shared award.

World Nuclear News stated that along with Kairos, there are 6 other non-light water reactor designers that have formally notified the NRC of their intent to engage in regulatory interactions. Namely "General Atomics for the Energy Multiplier Module; X-Energy for the XE-100; TerraPower and GE Hitachi for the Natrium reactor; TerraPower for its Molten Chloride Fast Reactor; Westinghouse Electric Company for its eVinci micro reactor; and Terrestrial Energy USA for its Integral Molten Salt Reactor."

[Full World Nuclear News article here]

October 1, 2021September 28, 2021

Nuclear Energy Cost Drivers and Innovations that Matter

SPEAKER:

Koroush Shirvan

John Clark Hardwick (1986) Career Development Professor
Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

DATE/TIME:

FRI, 10/01/2021 - 3:00PM TO 4:00PM

LOCATION:

ZOOM

Fall 2021 Colloquium Series

Abstract:

Nuclear energy supplies 10% of world’s electricity and its overall installed capacity has been growing in the past 5 years. This talk explores the key cost drivers for nuclear energy and challenges the recent overemphasis on advanced construction techniques and megaproject risk over focusing on nuclear reactor plant equipment optimization and meeting end-application cost targets. Then the presentation will overview the research activities at professor Shirvan’s Center of Nuclear Innovation for Fission Technologies including use of artificial intelligence, advanced reactors R&D and assessing additive manufacturing potential. The talk concludes with list of top three innovation pathways to reduce cost of nuclear: 1. Performance based regulation and radiation protection; 2. Cost effective manufacturing technologies; 3. High performing materials to improve reactor building power density and increase temperature.

About the Speaker:

Koroush Shirvan is the John Clark Hardwick (1986) Career Development Professor in Nuclear Science and Engineering department at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Shirvan previously held a role of principal scientist at MIT with >10 years of experience in developing and designing innovative nuclear fuel, nuclear reactor components and power systems, particularly accident tolerant fuels and small modular reactors. In 2017, he established the center of Nuclear Innovation in Fission Technologies, currently supported by Department of Energy and industry partners including Exelon, Fortum and EPRI. He is an active consultant to the nuclear industry on matters of cost and safety. He is also organizer of several professional nuclear education activities including co-director of the Reactor Technology Course for Utility Executives sponsored by the National Academy for Nuclear Training. He currently supervises 18 graduate students and 3 postdocs.