USU Selected as One of Four Universities to Lead Nuclear Energy Experiment

Utah State University is one of four universities in the nation selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory to conduct a nuclear energy experiment. Leading the USU experiment is Heng Ban, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering.


USU was selected by INL for research involving the long-term stability of aluminum-hafnium alloys in a reactor environment. USU joins the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California-Santa Barbara and University of Wisconsin, who were chosen to conduct experiments involving irradiation in a test reactor or for post-irradiation examination.

“As a university, we have grown significantly in the area of nuclear engineering research,” said Ban. “Receiving this award reinforces our prominence and is a testament to our intellectual and technological leadership in this area of research. The project provides faculty and students an opportunity to use the state-of-the art-facilities at INL to conduct scientific research with INL engineers and scientists. The experience strengthens USU’s nuclear research capability.”   

 

Ban is leading the project that will study the radiation response of materials containing combinations of aluminum and hafnium. The material specimens to be irradiated are part of a unique, patent pending design. The materials potentially can change the local characteristics of a reactor experiment, allowing an improved flexibility to tailor experiments in the Advanced Test Reactor to a customer’s needs.

Nuclear energy is a key piece of the nation’s energy portfolio, Ban said. It strengthens the country’s energy security and environmental quality. Both in the United States and worldwide, nuclear power has the potential to curtail the dependence on fossil fuels and reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. 

“The four new university-led projects show great promise for advancing the safety and performance of nuclear energy systems,” said Todd Allen, scientific director for the Advanced Test Reactor National Scientific User Facility (ATR NSUF). “These projects are based on advancing light water reactors, high-temperature gas-cooled reactors and fast reactors.”

The projects join five experiments the ATR NSUF selected in 2008 for testing. Four of the 2008 projects will be tested in the Advanced Test Reactor — two are scheduled for placement in the reactor in February and two others later this year — and one has been irradiated in the MIT Reactor, a partner facility of the user facility.

 

“The INL strongly believes in establishing partnerships with existing facilities to optimize the experimental process,” Allen said. “The two new partners were selected for this purpose and will be integral members of the NSUF.”

 

Established by the U.S. Department of Energy in April 2007, the ATR NSUF supports U.S. leadership in nuclear science and technology. By attracting new research users — universities, laboratories and industry — the ATR supports basic and applied nuclear research and development, advancing the nation's energy security needs.

 

More information on USU’s Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department is available at its Web site. For more information on the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, visit its Web site.

Contacts: Heng Ban, 435-797-2098, heng.ban@usu.edu (USU)
John Walsh, 208-526-8647, john.walsh@inl.gov (INL)