3/16/2009 Colloquium - Kevin Clarno

Kevin Clarno Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Event Info

Title:  Bridging the Gaps: Improving Reactor Neutronics at Domain Interfaces

Date: Mar 16, 2009
Location: 3105 Etcheverry Hall
Time: 4-5pm

Abstract

Reactor neutronics (neutron transport, depletion, and kinetics) simulation involves a three-step process of homogenization (or upscaling): resonance processing, lattice physics, and coupled-physics core solvers. The accuracy of each process has been improving for several decades to the point that great strides in accuracy and fidelity require addressing the interfaces of traditionally independent domains. This talk will discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with several of these interfaces and recent work to eliminate some of them. Specifically addressed topics include: the effects of nuclear fuel thermo-mechanics, micro-structural aspects of burnable poisons, interdependency of lattice-physics to core-solvers, and recent work to eliminate these boundaries through high-performance computing solvers.

Speaker Biography

Kevin Clarno received his Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from Texas A&M University. He was a Naval Nuclear Propulsion Fellow at Bechtel Bettis Atomic Power laboratory between 2002-4 and has been a Computational Nuclear Engineer in the Nuclear Science & Technology Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory since 2004.