DOE Nuclear Program Awards $1.6 Million to Penn State

Three Penn State-led projects have received more than $1.6 million in combined research and development grants from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy University Programs.
NEUP awarded $632,000 to Arthur Motta, chair of nuclear engineering, for “Anisotropic Azimuthal Power and Temperature Distribution on Fuel Rod: Impact on Hydride Distribution.”
The project aims to better identify the safety margins of irradiated fuel rods, which when exposed to the reactor environment during operation can pick up hydrogen. Motta will estimate the concentration factors of hydrogen in various rod locations, leading to safer and more economical use of nuclear fuel. Kostadin Ivanov, Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Maria Avramova, assistant professor of nuclear engineering, are collaborating with Motta.
Motta also is co-principal investigator on “Fundamental Studies of the Role of Grain Boundaries on Uniform Corrosion of Advanced Reactor Materials,” which received $1.1 million. This project will use state-of-the-art experimental techniques to understand the fundamentals of corrosion protectiveness of alloys used for nuclear fuel cladding, with the aim of designing improved alloys for extended service.

See more at: http://gantdaily.com/2011/09/05/doe-nuclear-program-awards-1-6-million-to-penn-state/