NE Postdoctoral Projects

Category: Engineering Computation and Design

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COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN, MANUFACTURE, AND OPERATIONS SIMULATION

Computer aided design (CAD) software that is used to create detailed 3D models of complex systems is now commonplace. The models created in this software provide direct input into animation and virtual reality software. These animations and virtual reality tools provide a powerful mechanism to evaluate the construction, installation, and operation of these systems as well as the human interaction. This is particularly beneficial when dealing with high radiation and inert atmospheres where the construction engineering prototypes are both expensive and difficult. Much of our work is directed toward development of equipment and processes that are operated in a high-radiation and inert-atmosphere hot-cell, using hands-off manipulation of components by cranes, electro-mechanical manipulators (the predecessor to robotic arms), and master-slave through-wall manipulators. Thus, we are looking toward extending the modeling to circumvent some of the extensive testing of prototype and actual hardware in a simulated fully operational environment that is normally done to guarantee functionality and accessibility by the various remote handling tools for assembly, operation, and maintenance in this environment. Extension to true robotics is a logical follow-on to our engineering efforts. Opportunities exist for participation in the development of 3-D models and the subsequent incorporation of these into animation and virtual reality software.
Contact: Jim Grudzinski
| Fax: +1 630-252-3444

COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS

Fluid dynamics, heat, and mass transfer for a variety of large-scale engineering systems. Current efforts focus on, but not limited to, problems related to nuclear safety, electrochemical process modeling, and combustion simulations, aerodynamics, and underhood thermal management. Analytical tools include in-house codes and commercially available computational fluid dynamics software.
Contact: Tanju Sofu
| Fax: +1 630-252-4500

ANALYSIS OF COMPLEX, INTEGRAL ENGINEERING SYSTEMS

Development of advanced analysis tools and techniques to address problems involving complex geometric configurations and multi-physics phenomena that are mostly thermally driven. Current applications include thermal hydraulic behavior of full-scale systems and the apparatus used in medium- to large-scale experiments. The commercially available computational fluid dynamics software are used as the base code for advanced model development.
Contact: Tanju Sofu
| Fax: +1 630-252-4500

COMPUTATIONAL MECHANICS

Development of parallel finite element based software that would be used to resolve structural integrity issues arising in the design of next generation reactor plants. The work would include the extension of current software to include additional nonlinear mechanics, contact-impact phenomena, fracture mechanic behaviors , and or heat conduction.
Knowledge of engineering mechanics and/or heat conduction, numerical methods, Fortran 90/95, MPI, parallel programming and Linux would be desirable.
Contact: Jim Grudzinski
| Fax: +1 630-252-3444

COMPUTER STUDIES IN ENGINEERING MECHANICS PROGRAM

The program is concerned with the development of state-of-the-art computational mechanics tools (finite element methods and mesh-free methods) and visualization tools with application to the solution of complex engineering mechanics problems found in industry and reactor safety analysis. Recent research has been performed in coupling a probabilistic engine to our deterministic finite element code to perform physics-based structural reliability analysis and prediction. Currently, we are doing research on the development of finite element computer engines for use on advanced computing architectures including a PC, single workstation, distributed workstations, scalable systems, and massively parallel computers. In addition, research has focused on using virtual reality tools such as the Nuclear Engineering Division’s virtual reality hardware to display computational mechanics results and design concepts. New work on the Computational Material Science Initiative will focus on modeling the behavior of materials at the mesoscale that accounts for various grain boundary mechanisms and the elastic response of the grain interior. Numerical studies are being performed on the response of three-dimensional seismic isolation systems targeted for use with Generation IV reactors. An ongoing research area is the simulation of the response of steel, reinforced concrete, and prestressed concrete structures to static and dynamic overpressure as well as external loading events. Additional research areas include the following: fluid-structure interaction, thermochemical analysis and high temperature response of concrete structures.
Contact: Jim Grudzinski
| Fax: +1 630-252-3444