Experience

UT-Battelle

• Research Services
• 500 - 600 Employee

• Distinguished Research Staff Member

  • Jul 2021 - Present

  Working on advancing disposition of used nuclear fuel in the Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle Division within the Fusion and Fission Energy and Science Directorate. Working on advancing disposition of used nuclear fuel in the Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle Division within the Fusion and Fission Energy and Science Directorate.



GE/Global Nuclear Fuel

• Principal Engineer

  • Nov 2019 - Present

  Responsible for providing technical leadership for performance of BWR fuel with a focus on thermal-mechanical performance during normal operation, anticipated operational occurrences, design basis accidents and storage after discharge. Using expertise in cladding and fuel performance to guide technical work for licensing of coated fuel rods and extending exposures beyond current limits. Mentoring junior engineers. Acting as a representative to collaborative industry programs.

• Manager Fuel Performance and Design

  • Apr 2015 - Nov 2019

  Responsible for managing a team of engineers that has varied in size from 10 to 15 people. The scope of work includes the mechanical design of fuel components for both BWR and PWR fuel assemblies, the performance of those components during in-reactor operations and dry storage conditions, and development of new nuclear fuel technology. In addition, Fuel Performance and Design (FP&D) group is responsible for working with supplier quality to help ensure vendors are meeting component specifications, working with manufacturing and quality on continuous improvement projects and quality excursions, and working directly with business functions to support customers. Some key accomplishments of the FP&D team under my leaderships: (1) completed the GNF3 new fuel assembly design, (2) developed the Defender PLUS lower tie plate filter, which was completed in one year from conception to delivery to the customer (likely the fastest technology development program in GNF history), (3) developed the ARMOR coating for zirconium-alloy cladding that is resistant to fret failures and improves oxidation resistance (development included insertion of ARMOR lead test assemblies in 2018), (4) submitted and received NRC approval of the PRIME transient methodology, (5) completed all mechanical design, material evaluations, and fuel rod performance evaluations of the TVS-K PWR fuel assembly supporting the delivery of a Technical Evaluation Report (TER) to a customer supporting insertions of Lead Test Assemblies into a US PWR plant; this included updating the PRIME thermal-mechanical code to enable application to PWR fuel rods, and (6) hired and trained 8 new engineers. Show less

• Technical Leader

  • Mar 2014 - Mar 2015

  Responsible for leading a group of materials and thermal-mechanical experts. Scope of work included both manufacturing and performance of components made of zirconium alloys, nuclear fuel, and fuel rod performance in-reactor and during dry storage. Provided technical guidance to the team and communications of work status to upper management. Mentored less experience engineers.

• Senior Engineer

  • Jan 2011 - Mar 2014

  Responsible engineer for BWR fuel channel performance, which includes performance models, interacting with nuclear design groups, providing status updates to management and customers, and providing customer support on channel issues. Led a cross-functional team to introduce a new channel material called NSF that is resistant to in-reactor stress-free distortion and develop a lean channel manufacturing process. Responsibilities included being the primary author of the licensing topical report for NSF channels that requested and received NRC approval for full-reload applications. Mentored less experiences engineersAn expert in the performance of zirconium alloys prior-to, during and post in-reactor use. Show less

• Lead Engineer

  • Sep 2006 - Jan 2011

  Responsible for BWR fuel channel performance, which includes performance models, interacting with nuclear design groups, providing status updates to management and customers, and providing customer support on channel issues. Provided technical justifications for dry storage of normal and potentially damaged Boiling Water Reactor fuel bundles.



Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory

• West Mifflin, PA

• Senior Engineer

  • Aug 1999 - Sep 2006

  Developed performance limits for reactor materials and components using statistical correlation methods. This required a thorough understanding of the governing physical phenomenon (i.e., irradiation effects, hydrogen effects, etc.), knowledge of applying laboratory tests to component applications, and a clear understanding of how the performance limits are used to ensure safe operations and safe shipments of spent nuclear fuel Used finite element models to simulate performance of reactor materials and components during both in-reactor use and after shutdown. Evaluated materials response under several hypothetical design events to define potential configurations for designers to evaluate. Received approval for a proposal to support a modeling, testing and characterization program at Ohio State University. Objective of work was to identify creep mechanism via the TEM to better develop physically based creep models of zirconium alloys that could be used in finite element models. Managed vendor contracts to perform work. Received approval for a proposal for failure analysis on irradiated zirconium alloys that required work in a hot cell. This work provided new insights into the failure process that enabled failure criteria to be better defined for finite element modeling. Show less