Rensselaer Researcher Awarded $740K From Nuclear Regulatory Commission for Research on Nuclear Materials and Technology
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December 14, 2022
Rensselaer Researcher Awarded $740K From Nuclear Regulatory Commission for Research on Nuclear Materials and Technology
Grants will assist the NRC in fuel development and risk assessment
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) was awarded $740,000 for research and education from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The project is led by Professor Jie Lian, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering at RPI, and Prof. Shanbin Shi's co-PI project from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).
The project targets the transient behavior of nuclear fuels under prototypical temperature transients and the development of a microstructure-informed fuel fragmentation model. The results obtained from this project will be essential to evaluate the performance of high burnup fuels and assist the NRC for risk-informed decision-making in licensing accident-tolerant fuels for reactor operation.
“As nuclear energy becomes more and more prevalent, the importance of understanding safety and risk associated with fuel reactor operation is that much more critical,” said Lian. “We are excited to be awarded this grant from the NRC to assist them in advancing nuclear energy.”
Prof. Shanbin Shi is a co-PI of the project led by Virginia Tech for a comprehensive experimental and modeling study of annual two-phase flow for the safety analysis of current light water reactors and future advanced reactors.
The NRC will distribute more than $10 million in grants to 20 university-led projects. A total of 89 projects were submitted, all focused on exploring nuclear materials and technologies. All proposals relate to safety for reactor designs and fuel cycle technologies.
Read the official awards announcement by the NRC.
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Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is America’s first technological research university. Rensselaer encompasses five schools, over 30 research centers, more than 140 academic programs including 25 new programs, and a dynamic community made up of over 6,800 students and 104,000 living alumni. Rensselaer faculty and alumni include upwards of 155 National Academy members, six members of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, six National Medal of Technology winners, five National Medal of Science winners, and a Nobel Prize winner in Physics. With nearly 200 years of experience advancing scientific and technological knowledge, Rensselaer remains focused on addressing global challenges with a spirit of ingenuity and collaboration. To learn more, please visit www.rpi.edu.