Nuclear Engineering Commons^™

Modeling Of Ion/Target Interactions In Plasma Facing Components Of Fusion Reactor, Nicole Neto Godry Farias, Tatyana Sizyuk, Ahmed Hassanein

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Nuclear fusion is a promising source of clean energy that can be one of the key future suppliers of the world’s increasing power demand. One of today’s main challenges faced by scientists and engineers regarding nuclear reactors is to design plasma-facing components (PFCs) that can withstand extreme conditions of temperature, pressure, and ions/particles irradiation. Material evolution and damage of PFCs are strongly related to the bombardment and diffusion processes of ions resulting from fusion fuel, i.e., deuterium and tritium and reaction products, i.e., helium. However, work is still needed in order to understand fuel diffusion in the presence of helium …

Computer Modeling Of Graphene Field Effect Transistors, Drew M. Ryan, Robert S. Bean

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Graphene has been the centerpiece of numerous research projects since its discovery in 2004, greatly due to its multitude of unique properties. Its variable conductivity, relative strength, and electron mobility make graphene a prime candidate for applications in the field of radiation detection. While work has been performed in the past on testing radiation detection using graphene using Graphene Field Effect Transistors (GFET), due to its limited size, fabricating GFETs can be tedious and costly. Therefore, a need arose for a way to test potential GFET designs without the cost and limitations of fabricating GFETs for each test iteration. Using …

Fluence Dependent Surface Modification On Tungsten Coatings Using Low Energy Helium Ion Irradiation At Elevated Temperatures, Cheng Ji, Jitendra K. Tripathi, Theodore J. Novakowski, Valeryi Sizyuk, Ahmed Hassanein

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Nuclear fusion is the most promising renewable energy source for the near future. It can provide a large amount of energy using a very small amount of fuel, as compared with that of the coal, oil, or nuclear fission. The chain reaction in nuclear fusion produces the energy and fuel, from hydrogen isotopes available in see water. Tungsten (W) is a leading candidate material for the plasma-facing component (PFC) in nuclear fusion reactors such as ITER (international thermonuclear experimental reactor), because of its high melting point, high yield strength, low erosion and low hydrogen isotope retention. Recent studies showed deeply …

X-Ray Fluorescence For Quantification Of Lead And Strontium In Vivo, Aaron James Specht

Open Access Dissertations

Lead (Pb) is a toxicant well known for its effects on almost every organ system in the body. Pb use in industry has declined since removal of Pb from gasoline, but many developing countries still have significant use of Pb. Exposure to Pb has been linked with diseases causing neurodegeneration and thus have lasting effects long after the initial exposure. Another metal, strontium (Sr), has been linked with bone disease in particular situations and shown to have uses in treating osteoporosis as a supplement. However, there are no studies of the effects of Sr using a meaningful biomarker. The most …

Cosmic Ray Muons For Spent Nuclear Fuel Monitoring, Stylianos Chatzidakis

Open Access Dissertations

There is a steady increase in the volume of spent nuclear fuel stored on-site (at reactor) as currently there is no permanent disposal option. No alternative disposal path is available and storage of spent nuclear fuel in dry storage containers is anticipated for the near future. In this dissertation, a capability to monitor spent nuclear fuel stored within dry casks using cosmic ray muons is developed. The motivation stems from the need to investigate whether the stored content agrees with facility declarations to allow proliferation detection and international treaty verification. Cosmic ray muons are charged particles generated naturally in the …

Nanoscale Phonon Thermal Conductivity Via Molecular Dynamics, Jonathan M. Dunn

Open Access Theses

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations provide a useful and simple means of calculating the nanoscale thermal properties of materials, which requires special analysis since the thermal properties of materials change when their dimensions reach the nanoscale. In this research, MD is used to investigate the nanoscale phonon thermal transport of materials that are attracting much interest in the areas of materials science and nuclear physics. In order to evaluate two distinct methods of calculating the thermal conductivity of materials using MD, the simulation methods are first applied to Si. Once an understanding of each simulation method is established, they are then …

Plasma Membrane Temperature Gradients And Multiple Cell Permeabilization Induced By Low Peak Power Density Femtosecond Lasers, Allen L. Garner, Bogdan Neculaes, Maxim Deminsky, Dmitry V. Dylov, Chulmin Joo, Evelina R. Loghin, Siavash Yazdanfar, Kenneth R. Conway

School of Nuclear Engineering Faculty Publications

Calculations indicate that selectively heating the extracellular media induces membrane temperature gradients that combine with electric fields and a temperature-induced reduction in the electro- permeabilization threshold to potentially facilitate exogenous molecular delivery. Experiments by a wide-field, pulsed femtosecond laser with peak power density far below typical single cell optical de- livery systems confirmed this hypothesis. Operating this laser in continuous wave mode at the same average power permeabilized many fewer cells, suggesting that bulk heating alone is insufficient and temperature gradients are crucial for permeabilization. This work suggests promising opportunities for a high throughput, low cost, contactless method for laser …

Cold Atmospheric Plasma: An Inside Look Through Optical Diagnostics For Biomedical Applications, Liesl Krause, Ahmed Hassanein, Prasoon Diwakar

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

An emerging technology for medical applications is cold atmospheric plasma (CAP). CAP is generated using various gasses in a “pen” to create room temperature plasma and then carry the effluents and species. Success has been shown when cold atmospheric plasma is applied to oncology treatments, accelerated wound healing, pathogen disinfection, and various material-changing effects. However, the mechanisms behind these effects are still speculative. This study uses multiple diagnostic techniques including fast photography, two wavelength emission spectroscopy and optical emission spectroscopy to characterize the plasma properties and eventually further test the plasma’s interaction with biological samples. The plume dynamics are observed …

Graphene Field Effect Transistor For Radiation Detection On A Micron To Millimeter Scale, Peter C. Lamm, Robert Speer Bean, Zachary Shollar

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Novel technology in radiation detection is critical to advancing radiation detectors for their many applications. Graphene has shown to be able to change its conductivity in the presence of an electric field; this makes it an excellent candidate to be used as a radiation detector for the detection of the charges generated during radiation interactions. Research has been done on making micron scale graphene field effect transistors (GFET) with graphene on a Si/SiO₂ wafer, but it is critical that we try to increase the scale. Unknowns persist in scaling graphene to millimeter sizes. This study plans to elucidate any …

Quantum Modeling Of Thermodynamic Properties Of Warm Dense Aluminum, Nicholas Termini, Gennady Miloshesky, Ahmed Hassanein

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Warm dense matter is attracting a lot of attention in the scientific community, due to its formation during intense laser-matter interaction and inertial confinement fusion. However, there is no accurate solution to mapping out the thermodynamic properties of warm dense matter. Experimental data are also incredibly scarce making computational models an incredibly useful tool. This paper provides equation of state (EOS) data for aluminum at specific densities within the warm dense matter regime. The EOS data were calculated using quantum molecular dynamics, which was performed by the computational package QuatumEspresso. EOS were determined by collecting and recording pressure after achieving …

Temperature Dependence Of Electrical Performance Of Tritium Sourced Betavoltaic Cells, Darrell S. Cheu, Tom Adams, Shripad Revankar

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

There is an increasing need for devices that can be powered for extended periods of time where it is impossible for maintenance or replacement, such as pacemakers, long term space flight or undisturbed sensors for military use. Since 1971, most devices run off a Lithium-Iodide battery, which gives a high amount of power but could only last approximately 2 to 5 years, requiring frequent replacement. However, replacement is unnecessary for betavoltaic cells as they can last at least 20 years. Commercially available tritium betavoltaic cells provided by City Labs Inc. were tested at a temperature range of -50°C to 150°C …

Effect Of Helium Ions Energy On Molybdenum Surfaces Under Extreme Conditions, Joseph Fiala, Jitendra K. Tripathi, Sean Gonderman, Ahmed Hassanein

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Plasma facing components (PFCs) in fusion devices must be able to withstand high temperatures and erosion due to incident energetic ion radiations. Tungsten has become the material of choice for PFCs due to its high strength, thermal conductivity, and low erosion rate. However, its surface deteriorates significantly under helium ion irradiation in fusion-like conditions and forms nanoscopic fiber-like structures, or fuzz. Fuzz is brittle in nature and has relatively lower thermal conductivity than that of the bulk material. Small amounts of fuzz may lead to excessive contamination of the plasma, preventing the fusion reaction from taking place. Despite recent efforts, …

Exploring The Effect Of Sample Properties On Spark-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Michael J. Marino, Payson Dieffenbach, Liesl A. Krause, Prasoon Diwakar, Ahmed Hassanein

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Optical emission spectroscopy techniques such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and spark-induced breakdown spectroscopy (SIBS) provide portable and robust methods for elemental detection in real-time. Laser-produced emissions are then used for quantitative and qualitative analysis of a sample material with applications in explosives detection. For both techniques, the main obstacles have always been signal intensity, accuracy, and sensitivity of detection. The main advantage of the SIBS method is more safe operation, while still maintaining the portability of the technique. In this study, detailed characterization of spark induced plasma, analyte emission intensity, plasma temperature, electron density, and plasma persistence has been …

Effect Of Carbon Impurity On Molybdenum Nanostructure Evolution Under Helium Ion Irradiation In Extreme Conditions, Nikhil A. Bharadwaj, Jitendra Tripathi, Ahmed Hassanein, Sean Gonderman

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

The performance of plasma facing components (PFC) is of great important for the realization of prototype nuclear fusion. Tungsten has been considered as the leading high-Z PFC material for these reactors and tokamaks due to its superior thermophysical properties, high melting point, low sputtering yield, and low tritium inventory. However, its surface deteriorates significantly under helium ion irradiation in extreme (fusion) conditions and forms nanoscopic fiber like structures (fuzz) Recent studies show that the formation of fuzz nanostructure on tungsten can be suppressed by the presence of plasma impurities such as carbon and beryllium. In the present study, the effects …

Optical Emission Spectroscopy Diagnostics Of Cold Plasmas For Food Sterilization, Abhijit Jassem, Michael Lauria, Russell Brayfield Ii, Kevin M. Keener, Allen L. Garner

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

There is a growing need for economical, effective, and safe methods of sterilizing fresh produce. The most common method is a chlorine wash, which is expensive and may introduce carcinogens. High voltage cold atmospheric pressure plasmas are a promising solution that has demonstrated a germicidal effect; however, the responsible chemical mechanisms and reaction pathways are not fully understood. To elucidate this chemistry, we used optical emission spectroscopy to measure the species produced in the plasma generated by a 60 Hz pulsed dielectric barrier discharge in a plastic box containing various fill gases (He, N₂, CO₂, dry …

Well-Posedness And Convergence Of Cfd Two-Fluid Model For Bubbly Flows, Avinash Vaidheeswaran

Open Access Dissertations

The current research is focused on developing a well-posed multidimensional CFD two-fluid model (TFM) for bubbly flows. Two-phase flows exhibit a wide range of local flow instabilities such as Kelvin-Helmholtz, Rayleigh-Taylor, plume and jet instabilities. They arise due to the density difference and/or the relative velocity between the two phases. A physically correct TFM is essential to model these instabilities. However, this is not the case with the TFMs in numerical codes, which can be shown to have complex eigenvalues due to incompleteness and hence are ill-posed as initial value problems. A common approach to regularize an incomplete TFM is …

Investigation And Modeling Of Uranium Polarization For The Electrorefining Of Scrap U-Mo Foils, Melissa Rose

Open Access Dissertations

A uranium molybdenum alloy fuel has been proposed to convert research and test reactors from highly enriched uranium to low enriched uranium to increase the proliferation resistance at such reactors. Pyroprocessing has been selected to recover uranium from the scrap produced in the manufacture of this novel fuel type. Electrorefining, the main separation process of pyroprocessing, is modeled through a novel approach using corrosion theory. To use corrosion theory, knowledge of uranium polarization and kinetic parameters such as Tafel constant, transfer coefficient and exchange current density are required. Uranium polarization was investigated at five temperatures and three scan rates in …

Experimental Study Of Droplet Capable Conductivity Probe, Yikuan Yan

Open Access Theses

This research focus on experimentally studying the performance of the newly designed Droplet Capable Conductivity Probe (DCCP). ^ A literature review is performed to illustrate the development of current two-fluid model and interfacial area transport equation. Previous conductivity probe instrumentation is also reviewed. The limitations of current conductivity probe design are described and the necessity of developing DCCP is illustrated. ^ The concept of DCCP-2 and DCCP-4 are introduced and experiments are performed to benchmark the capability of DCCP-4.

Hydrogen Loading System Development And Evaluation Of Tritiated Substrates To Optimize Performance In Tritium Based Betavoltaics, Thomas E. Adams

Open Access Dissertations

State-of-the-art hydrogen loading system onto thin metallic films based on differential pressure in calibrated chambers has been developed for conditions pressures and temperatures up to 69 bar and 500°C, respectively. Experiments on hydrogen loading on to palladium films of thickness 50 and 250 nm were conducted at pressure ranging from 0.2 bar to 10 bar at temperature 310°C. For first time film hydrogen loading was carried out at 1 bar and at room temperature which temperature. Beta flux exiting surface of metal tritide films has been modeled with MC-SET (Monte Carlo Simulation of Electron Trajectories in solids). Surface beta flux …

Developing Professional Skills In Stem Students: Data Information Literacy, Lisa Zilinski, Megan R. Sapp Nelson, Amy S. Van Epps

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Undergraduate STEM students are increasingly expected to have some data use skills upon graduation, whether they pursue post-graduate education or move into industry. This project was an initial foray into the application of data information literacy competencies to training undergraduate students to identify markers of data and information quality. The data consumer training appeared within two courses to help students evaluate data objects, including databases and datasets available on the Internet. The application of the Data Credibility Checklist provides a foundation for developing data reuse competencies. Based upon the initial presentation of the content, it became obvious that students need …

Investigation Of The Performance Of Different Types Of Zirconium Microstructures Under Extreme Irradiation Conditions, Eric M. Acosta, Osman J. El-Atwani

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

The safe and continued operation of the US nuclear power plants requires improvement of the radiation resistant properties of materials used in nuclear reactors. Zirconium is a material of particular interest due to its use in fuel cladding. Studies performed on other materials have shown that grain boundaries can play a significant role on the radiation resistant properties of a material. Thus, the focus of our research is to investigate the performance of different zirconium microstructures under irradiation conditions similar to those in commercial nuclear reactors. Analysis of the surface morphology of zirconium both pre- and post-irradiation was conducted with …

Energy Deposition In A Graphene Field Effect Transistor Based Radiation Detector, Nickolas Upole, Robert Bean, Allen Garner

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

The development of high-performance radiation detectors is essential for commercial, scientific, and security applications [1]. Due to the unique electronic properties of graphene (high-speed, low-noise), recent radiation detectors utilize graphene field effect transistors to sense charge carriers produced by radiation interactions in a gated semiconductor [2]. A study of the energy deposition due to the transport of gamma rays and electrons/positrons through typical elemental and compound semiconductors (Si, Ge, GaAs, and CdTe) will allow for a material optimization of these detectors. Geant4, a Monte Carlo based program that simulates the passage of particles through matter, was used to simulate Compton …

He+ Ion Irradiation On Tungsten Surface In Extreme Conditions, George I. Joseph, Jitendra Tripathi, Sivanandan S. Harilal, Ahmed Hassanein

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Higher melting point (3695K), lower sputtering yield and most importantly, lower in-bulk, and co-deposit retention at elevated temperature makes tungsten (W) as a potential candidate for plasma-facing component (PFC) in the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER)-divertor. Helium ion (He⁺) bombardment on W can cause wide variety of microstructural evolution, such as dislocation loops, helium holes/bubbles and fibre-form nanostructures (Fuzz) etc. In this work, 100 eV He⁺ ion irradiation, at temperature ranges from 500°C to 1000°C, will be performed on mechanically polished mirror like W surfaces. The surface modification and compositional analysis, due to ion irradiation, will be …

Doube-Pulse Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Of Multi-Element Sample Containing Low- And High-Z Analytes, Patrick J. Skrodzki, Jason R. Becker, Prasoon K. Diwakar Ph. D., Sivanandan S. Harilal Ph. D., Ahmed Hassanein Ph. D.

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a portable, remote, non-invasive analytical technique which effectively distinguishes neutral and ionic species for a range of low- to high-Z elements in a multi-element target. Subsequently, LIBS holds potential in special nuclear material (SNM) sensing and nuclear forensics requiring minimal sample preparation and detecting isotopic shifts which allows for differentiation in SNM (namely U) enrichment levels. Feasible applications include not only nonproliferation and homeland security but also nuclear fuel prospecting and industrial safeguard endorsement. Elements of higher mass with complex atomic structures, such as U, however, result in crowded emission spectra with LIBS, and characteristic …

Optimizing Neutron Yield For Active Interrogation, Amanda M. Loveless, Allen L. Garner, Robert D. Bean, Nader Satvat

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Neutrons are commonly used for many applications, including active interrogation and cancer therapy. One critical aspect for active interrogation efficiency is neutron yield, which is more important for successful resolution than the energy spectrum. The typical approach for improving neutron yield entails producing more neutrons, which has motivated multiple studies using the interaction of increasingly more powerful tabletop lasers with plastic targets to generate protons or deuterons that are absorbed by another target to create neutrons [1]. Alternatively, one may use lenses to focus the neutrons to increase yield rather than simply generating more neutrons with more powerful lasers [2]. …

Double-Pulse Nd:Yag-Co2 Libs Excitation For Bulk And Trace Analytes, Jason R. Becker, Patrick Skrodzki, Prasoon Diwakar, Sivanandan Harilal, Ahmed Hassanein

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy [LIBS] is a commonly used technique for multi-element analyses for various applications such as space exploration, nuclear forensics, environmental analysis, process monitoring. The advantages of the LIBS technique include robustness, ease of use, field portability, and real-time, non-invasive multi-element analyses. However, in comparison to other lab based analytical techniques, it suffers from low precision and low sensitivity. In order to overcome these drawbacks, various approaches have been used, including double-pulse LIBS [DPLIBS]. Typically, various wavelength combinations of two Nd: yttrium aluminum garnet [YAG] lasers have been used for DPLIBS. However, the use of long wavelength (CO_{2 …}

Comparison Of Thermal And Γ-Photon Induced Degradation In Polylactic Acid For Potential As A Solid-State Radiation Detector, Nathan M. Boyle, Alex Bakken, Rusi P. Taleyarkhan

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Degradation of the biopolymer Polylactic Acid, both thermally and through irradiation will cause physical changes in the material. These changes can be used in applications such as adhesives and sealants or in medical applications, but the primary focus of this study is for use as a solid-state radiation detector. A literature review shows that current research has been focused on thermal and γ-photon degradation in PLA but the physical characteristics such as melting temperature, latent heat of fusion, and composition of molecular bonds have not been compared in the same study. This study focuses on how thermal properties of PLA …

Correlating Grain Size To Radiation Damage Tolerance Of Tungsten Materials Exposed To Relevant Fusion Conditions, Sean Robert Gonderman

Open Access Theses

Tungsten remains a leading candidate for plasma facing component (PFC) in future fusion devices. This is in large part due to its strong thermal and mechanical properties. The ITER project has already chosen to use an all tungsten divertor. Despite having a high melting temperature and low erosion rate, tungsten faces a large variety of issues when subject to fusion like conditions. These include embrittlement, melting, and extreme morphology change (growth of fuzz nanostructure). The work presented here investigates mechanisms that drive surface morphology change in tungsten materials exposed to fusion relevant plasmas. Specifically, tungsten materials of different grain sizes …

Drift-Flux Correlation Development For Two-Phase Flow In Rod Bundles, Collin M. Clark

Open Access Theses

A rod bundle drift-flux correlation is developed with intended application across a wide range of two-phase flow conditions. Special consideration is made for fluid flow mechanisms at low liquid velocity and low pressure conditions. In these instances, gravitational forces from the density difference of the associated fluid phases are more significant. Secondary flow patterns may develop as a result and a drift-flux correlation would need to make appropriate adjustments. Earlier correlations may have increased error at these conditions if they have been formulated with respect to relatively higher pressures or flow rates. In the present work, area-average void fraction data …

Understanding The Global Energy Crisis, Eugene D. Coyle, Richard A. Simmons

Purdue University Press Books

We are facing a global energy crisis caused by world population growth, an escalating increase in demand, and continued dependence on fossil-based fuels for generation. It is widely accepted that increases in greenhouse gas concentration levels, if not reversed, will result in major changes to world climate with consequential effects on our society and economy. This is just the kind of intractable problem that Purdue University’s Global Policy Research Institute seeks to address in the Purdue Studies in Public Policy series by promoting the engagement between policy makers and experts in fields such as engineering and technology.

Major steps forward …