Fall 2023 Colloquium Series

November 27, 2023November 28, 2023

The Berkeley Space Center

SPEAKER:

Alexandre Bayen

Liao-Cho Professor, EECS; Associate Provost for the Berkeley Space Center

DATE/TIME:

MON, 11/27/2023 - 3:00PM TO 4:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Abstract

This talk will describe the latest development of the Berkeley Space Center, a project in which UC Berkeley is developing a 36 acres parcel at NASA Ames (Moffett Field, near Mountain View), to build a new 1.4M sq. ft research hub, which will host research and teaching activities, co-located with industry consortia working together with UC Berkeley, NASA and local stakeholders jointly under Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). The talk will discuss the project, and links to the Nuclear Engineering Department.

Bio

Alexandre Bayen is the Associate Provost for Moffett Field Program Development at UC Berkeley, and the Liao-Cho Professor of Engineering at UC Berkeley. He is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Civil and Environmental Engineering. From 2014 - 2021, he served as the Director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Berkeley (ITS). He is also a Faculty Scientist in Mechanical Engineering, at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). He received the Engineering Degree in applied mathematics from the Ecole Polytechnique, France, in 1998, the M.S. and Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University in 1999 and 2004, respectively. He was a Visiting Researcher at NASA Ames Research Center from 2000 to 2003. Between January 2004 and December 2004, he worked as the Research Director of the Autonomous Navigation Laboratory at the Laboratoire de Recherches Balistiques et Aerodynamiques, (Ministere de la Defense, Vernon, France), where he holds the rank of Major. He has been on the faculty at UC Berkeley since 2005. Bayen has authored two books and over 200 articles in peer reviewed journals and conferences. He is the recipient of the Ballhaus Award from Stanford University, 2004, of the CAREER award from the National Science Foundation, 2009 and he is a NASA Top 10 Innovators on Water Sustainability, 2010. His projects Mobile Century and Mobile Millennium received the 2008 Best of ITS Award for ‘Best Innovative Practice’, at the ITS World Congress and a TRANNY Award from the California Transportation Foundation, 2009. Mobile Millennium has been featured more than 200 times in the media, including TV channels and radio stations (CBS, NBC, ABC, CNET, NPR, KGO, the BBC), and in the popular press (Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, LA Times). Bayen is the recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) award from the White House, 2010. He is also the recipient of the Okawa Research Grant Award, the Ruberti Prize from the IEEE, and the Huber Prize from the ASCE.

November 13, 2023November 7, 2023

Microfluidics Separations for Field-Deployable Nuclear Forensics

SPEAKER:

Jennifer Shusterman

Staff Scientist, LLNL

DATE/TIME:

MON, 11/13/2023 - 3:00PM TO 4:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Abstract

The Nuclear and Radiochemistry group at LLNL works on a wide variety of projects ranging from nuclear forensics to stockpile stewardship to fundamental studies in super heavy element production and chemistry. An overview of some of the work in the NRC group will be provided as well as a deeper dive on a current R&D effort aimed at developing potentially fieldable radiochemistry and analysis equipment to support post-detonation nuclear forensics. To expedite analysis of post-detonation nuclear debris, a microfluidic chemistry and small-scale detection platform has been developed. Towards future field-deployable application, the footprint of the platform and volume of reagents have been minimized, and the system and its components selected to operate in ambient conditions. Supported liquid membrane microfluidic devices have been designed and 3D-printed for separation of uranium and plutonium from fission products, debris matrix elements, actinides, and activation products. Uranium and plutonium quantification are done using online UV-Visible spectrophotometry and gamma spectrometry, and online alpha spectrometry, respectively. Thus far, the platform has been used to separate and characterize uranium and plutonium ratios from various surrogate debris matrices containing actinides and fission products.

LLNL-ABS-856340. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. This work was funded by the Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development within the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.

Bio

Jennifer Shusterman is a radiochemist in the Nuclear and Radiochemistry Group at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Previously, she was a Postdoctoral Researcher in the same group at LLNL and an
Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY) and the CUNY Graduate Center. She has a B.S. in Chemistry and Engineering Science from Tufts University and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.

November 6, 2023January 16, 2024

Chemistry and physics of graphite in molten fluoride salts

SPEAKER:

L Vergari
Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

DATE/TIME:

MON, 11/06/2023 - 3:00PM TO 4:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Abstract

Graphite is a ubiquitous material in nuclear engineering. Within Generation IV designs, graphite serves as a reflector or fuel element material in Fluoride-Salt-Cooled-High-Temperature Reactors (FHRs), Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs), and High-Temperature-Gas-Reactor (HTGRs). In fusion research, graphite was originally proposed as a divertor material and may be employed in the breeding blanket. Graphite versatility in nuclear systems stems from its unique combination of mechanical, thermal, chemical, and neutronic properties. These properties vary across graphite grades and are influenced by operational parameters like temperature, radiation, and chemical environment. In reactors that employ fluoride salts, graphite can interact with the salt through multiple mechanisms, including salt-infiltration in graphite pores, chemical reactions with salt constituents, and tribo-chemical wear. These mechanisms can have an impact on graphite’s integrity and functional performance in the reactor, including its ability to immobilize tritium, its irradiation-resistance, and its sensitivity to degradation under air ingress. This seminar will describe mechanisms of interactions of fluoride salts with graphite and assess their impact on reactor engineering. This talk will also discuss active research projects on molten salts and graphite at the University of Illinois.

Bio

Dr. L Vergari is an Assistant Professor in Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering and the director of the ABC Lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Vergari holds a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of California Berkeley, a M.S. in Energy and Nuclear Engineering from Politecnico di Torino, a M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from Politecnico di Milano and a B.S. in Energy Engineering from Politecnico di Milano.
Useful links: Google Scholar, ResearchGate, NPRE Department
Contact information: vergari@illinois.edu.

October 30, 2023October 31, 2023

INL’s Role in Advanced Reactor Demonstration and New Modeling & Simulation Capabilities

SPEAKER:

Dr. Abdalla Abou-Jaoude

Advanced Reactor Research Integrator

DATE/TIME:

MON, 10/30/2023 - 3:00PM TO 4:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Abstract

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is at the forefront of the nation’s advanced reactor R&D effort. Advanced reactor are a promising form of baseload carbon free energy generation and several studies are expecting them to play a critical part in US decarbonization plans. The seminar presentation will be divided in two parts. The first will provide an overview of R&D activities at the lab in support of advanced reactor development efforts. The timeline for forthcoming reactor demonstrations efforts at INL and elsewhere will also be presented. The second part of the seminar will discuss the new ‘multiphysics modeling & simulation’ capabilities being developed at INL as part of the ‘MOOSE’ ecosystem. These tools are being developed primarily to model the complex physics in advanced reactors, but can also be employed to wider engineering applications. They represent a paradigm shit in multi-disciplinary engineering analysis, but enabling the tight coupling of various physical phenomena in nuclear reactors.

Bio

Dr. Abdalla Abou-Jaoude, is the Advanced Reactor Research Integrator at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). He is leading several projects across 7 Department of Energy (DOE) programs and is a recognized expert on advanced reactor technology. His main three focus areas are: (1) advanced modeling & simulation, (2) molten salt technology, and (3) nuclear technoeconomics. On modeling & simulation, Dr. Abou-Jaoude leads the National Reactor Innovation Center’s (NRIC) Virtual Test Bed (VTB), and is the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) campaign point of contact to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). On the Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) side, he is the confirmatory analysis technical lead for the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE) to be built at INL, he manages work packages for various DOE campaigns and Integrated Research Projects (IRP) on multiphysics simulation of MSRs, and led the first ever fueled chloride salt irradiation in history. On nuclear technoeconomics, Dr. Abou-Jaoude is the activity lead for the Systems Analysis & Integration (SA&I) campaign on advanced reactor technoeconomic assessment, he manages a project for the Integrated Energy System (IES) campaign on developing advanced reactor cost data for hybrid systems, another for the Microreactor Program (MRP) on developing detailed cost estimates for microreactors, and a fourth for the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) on creating a database of reference advanced reactor cost estimates.

Previously at INL, Abdalla has been involved in various aspect of advance reactor designs, notably for Molten Salt Reactors, Sodium Fast Reactors (namely the Versatile Test Reactor), Nuclear Space Thermal Propulsion, and heat-pipe based microreactors. He also previously supported a private-public partnership with a U.S. utility to evaluate hydrogen-cogeneration options at nuclear power plants. He graduated with a doctorate in Nuclear Engineering from Georgia Tech in 2017 and was the INL Deboisblanc Distinguished Postdoctoral Associate in 2018. He obtained a MEng in Mechanical with Nuclear Engineering from Imperial College London in 2013.

October 23, 2023October 13, 2023

Boiling Heat Transfer Experimental Research at MIT: Accomplishments, Open Questions, and Future Directions

SPEAKER:

Dr. Matteo Bucci

Associate Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering, MIT

DATE/TIME:

MON, 10/23/2023 - 3:00PM TO 4:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Abstract

In every field of science, the possibility of discovering and understanding new phenomena, or testing new hypotheses, is strongly related to and limited by the capability of observation. Here, we will discuss recent advances in experimental boiling heat transfer research made possible by unique experimental facilities and non-intrusive high-resolution optical diagnostics, e.g., high-speed infrared thermometry and phase detection techniques. We will analyze these techniques' capabilities and limitations in supporting the understanding of fundamental two phase heat transfer problems. Examples are the growth and departure of bubbles from a heated surface, the distribution of the dry area fraction, the partitioning of heat flux, and the boiling crisis. Notably, we will discuss experiments conducted in prototypical LWR conditions, presenting first-of-a-kind observations of the boiling process and the boiling crisis. The use of these diagnostics has been instrumental in providing an answer to some long-standing fundamental physical questions. However, access to these techniques is not sufficient. Nowadays, new understanding is hindered by our capability to analyze data, i.e., we can produce much more data than we can possibly analyze. This issue is critical for highly non-linear phenomena, e.g., boiling heat transfer, whose complexity is hidden beyond what a human eye can hardly see or a human brain can timely analyze. We will discuss how artificial intelligence can alleviate this issue and, possibly, enable the development of autonomous, self-learning testing capabilities.

Bio

Dr. Matteo Bucci is Associate Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT. He has joined the MIT faculty in 2016, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in nuclear reactor engineering and design, and two- phase heat transfer. His thermal-hydraulics group at MIT focuses on two major research axes related to nuclear reactor safety and design: (1) New understanding of heat transfer mechanisms in nuclear reactors, (2) Engineered surfaces and coatings to enhance two-phase heat transfer. His group also develops and uses advanced diagnostics, such as high-speed infrared thermometry and phase-detection, and post-processing algorithms to perform unique heat transfer experiments. Matteo has published over 40 articles in the areas of two-phase flow and heat transfer,
and surface engineering technology. For his research work and his teaching, he won several awards, among which the MIT Ruth and Joel Spira Award for Excellence in Teaching (2020), ANS/PAI Outstanding Faculty Award (2018), the UIT-Fluent Award (2006), the European Nuclear Education Network Award (2010), and the 2012 ANS Thermal- Hydraulics Division Best Paper Award (2012). In 2022, Matteo received the inaugural DOE Early Career Award for Nuclear Energy. Matteo is Editor of Applied Thermal Engineering and a consultant for the nuclear industry.

October 16, 2023January 16, 2024

Need for Speed in Scintillation Detectors

SPEAKER:

Dennis R. Schaart, PhD
Head, Medical Physics & Technology
Delft University of Technology

DATE/TIME:

MON, 10/16/2023 - 3:00PM TO 4:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Abstract

Remarkable progress is being made in the development of ultrafast scintillation detectors, driven by the need for detectors with better time resolution and/or higher count rate capability in medical imaging and other applications. This talk aims to provide a brief overview of the fundamental factors that affect these performance parameters and, based on the insights gained in recent years, to outline some possible directions for further development in the fields of scintillation materials, photosensor technology, and readout electronics. While the application perspective will focus on medical imaging techniques such as time-of-flight PET and photon-counting CT, many of the topics covered will also be applicable in other domains.

Bio

Dennis R. Schaart heads the Medical Physics & Technology section at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). He worked in academia as well as in the medical device industry, always at the intersection of physics, technology, and medicine. He started as an R&D physicist at Nucletron (now Elekta), where he developed new devices for radiotherapy. He obtained his doctoral degree (with highest honors) in 2002. He then joined TU Delft to set up a new research line on in-vivo molecular imaging technology, with special focus on ultrafast detectors for time-of-flight positron emission tomography (TOF-PET). His team was among the first to explore the use of silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) in TOF-PET and has published many works on the fundamentals of SiPM-based detectors and the theory of ultrafast timing. Dennis’ present research interests include novel methods and technologies for in vivo molecular imaging, anatomical imaging, and image guidance in (proton) radiotherapy. He leads the Technology for Oncology programme of the TU Delft Health Initiative and serves as a member of the R&D Program Board of the Holland Proton Therapy Centre (HollandPTC). He has (co-)authored more than 150 peer-reviewed papers and is a frequently invited speaker.

October 9, 2023January 16, 2024

Coal-to-Nuclear Repowering for a Just Transition

SPEAKER:

Jessica Lovering

Executive Director, Good Energy Collective

DATE/TIME:

MON, 10/9/2023 - 3:00PM TO 4:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Abstract

This talk will focus on the intersection between policies to decarbonize our energy system and efforts to ensure a just transition for fossil-fuel workers and dependent communities. One opportunity that has emerged is the potential to repower retiring coal power plants with small, modular nuclear reactors. Such projects could leverage existing infrastructure and workforce. I will explore some of first coal-to-nuclear projects underway, along with state and federal policies to aid such efforts.

Bio

Jessica Lovering is the co-founder and Executive Director of Good Energy Collective, a new organization building the progressive case for nuclear energy as an essential part of the broader climate change agenda and working to align the clean energy space with environmental justice and sustainability goals. She completed her PhD in Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. Her dissertation focused on how commercial nuclear trade affects international security standards and how very small nuclear reactors could be deployed at the community level. She is a Fellow with the Energy for Growth Hub, looking at how advanced nuclear can be deployed in sub-Saharan Africa, and a Senior Visiting Fellow with the Fastest Path to Zero Initiative at the University of Michigan.

October 2, 2023October 10, 2023

Next-generation neutrino detection with Eos

SPEAKER:

Professor Gabriel O. Gann

Associate Professor of Physics, UC Berkeley

Faculty Scientist, LBNL

DATE/TIME:

MON, 10/2/2023 - 3:00PM TO 4:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Abstract

Neutrinos are some of the most fascinating particles that occur in nature. Over one billion times lighter than the proton, the neutrino was once thought to be massless and to travel at the speed of light. This talk will discuss the ways in which neutrinos can offer insights into the world around us, and present recent technological advances that enable a new kind of “hybrid" neutrino experiment, which would combine two highly successful detection techniques: the topological information of Cherenkov detectors, with the high light yield of scintillators. A technical demonstrator for this technology is currently being deployed in the Nuclear Engineering department, and the status and plans for this project will be presented.

Bio

Prof. Orebi Gann joined the UC Berkeley Physics department faculty in January 2012, with a joint appointment in the Nuclear Science Division at LBNL. She completed her postdoctoral research at University of Pennsylvania from 2008-2011, having graduated with a DPhil from University of Oxford in 2008. Prof. Orebi Gann leads the proto-collaboration pursuing Theia, a large-scale realization of the technology being tested in Eos.

September 25, 2023January 18, 2024

Kaleidos: Making Nuclear Power Portable at Radiant Nuclear

SPEAKER:

Dr. Benjamin R. Betzler

Head of Nuclear Engineering at Radiant

DATE/TIME:

MON, 09/25/2023 - 3:00PM TO 4:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Abstract

Increased industry development of nuclear microreactors over the last several years is largely due to their portability and operational flexibility, making them a feasible carbon-free technology for a variety of electrical grid sizes and remote locations. Reliability and operational flexibility, with years of operation without refueling, are some of the unique microreactor characteristics. These are designed characteristics of Radiant Nuclear’s Kaleidos, a 3.5 MWt portable nuclear microreactor intended to replace diesel generators and to provide power in remote or emergency deployment scenarios. Radiant is pursuing a fueled demonstration of this microreactor at the National Reactor Innovation Center Experimental Breeder Reactor (EBR)-II Test Bed [3] at Idaho National Laboratory in 2026.

Bio

Dr. Benjamin R. Betzler heads a team of nuclear engineers to design and analyze a portable nuclear microreactor. He joined Radiant after over 8 years as a research staff member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which followed the completion of his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering and radiological sciences at the University of Michigan. His expertise is in advanced reactor design and Monte Carlo radiation transport methods.

September 18, 2023December 12, 2023

Radioactive Mice! How We Use the Mouse Model to Study Radiotherapeutics and Decontamination at LBNL

SPEAKER:

Alexia Cosby, Ph.D.

DATE/TIME:

MON, 09/18/2023 - 3:00PM TO 4:00PM

LOCATION:

3105 ETCHEVERRY HALL

Abstract

The mouse model is an essential component for validating preclinical research. Here at LBNL, we use the mouse model to investigate two distinct challenges: 1) designing and evaluating radiotheranostics, and 2) understanding radiocontamination in the event of a nuclear disaster.Radiotheranostics for cancer diagnosis is a dynamic approach to dually diagnose and treat malignancies with a pair of tandem radioisotopes. An alternative approach to a targeting system is herein explored through the development of siderocalin-Trastuzumab fusion proteins, where the Scn protein is fused with HER2+ targeting antibody trastuzumab. We demonstrate the efficacy of the tetravalent theranostic metal pair 227 Th (therapy, α, t 1/2 =10 d) and 89 Zr (imaging, β +, t 1/2 = 78 hr). In addition to radiotheranostics, we investigate the decontamination of radiometals after inhalation. The hydroxypyridinone chelator HOPO demonstrates prophylactic efficacy in mice contaminated with Am-241.

Bio

Alexia Cosby graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry in 2017 from the University of Oregon after conducting research under Darren Johnson and Jim Hutchison. She then pursued a Chemistry Ph.D. at Stony Brook University under Eszter Boros. Her dissertation focused on utilizing luminescent lanthanides toward designing bimodal cancer imaging agents, using the phenomenon of Cherenkov radiation. Following graduation in November 2021, Cosby started her postdoctoral research in actinide chemistry with Rebecca Abergel at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Her postdoc research has focused on working with actinides in the context of in vivo decorporation and developing theranostic models with 89 Zr and 227 Th. Cosby intends to find a faculty position to continue studying the imaging and treatment of cancers using fundamental coordination chemistry.