Overview of the Nuclear Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory

Hosted by Dr. Sedat Goluoglu

Nuclear Engineering Program Seminar Series

Thursday, March 30, 2017 – 1:55-2:55 p.m. – Rhines Hall, 125

 

Speaker:

Dr. Roglans-Ribas

Director of the Nuclear Engineering Division

Argonne National Laboratory

 

Title:

Overview of the Nuclear Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory

 

Abstract:

Argonne National Laboratory is a multi-disciplinary research facility of the U.S. Department of Energy. Argonne was established as a National Laboratory in 1946 to develop the civilian applications of nuclear power. Continuing the pioneering work that the Laboratory performed in the development of initial reactor and fuel cycle technologies, the Nuclear Engineering Division today continues to advance the science and technology foundations for nuclear energy.

 

The presentation will describe the main research programs at the Nuclear Engineering Division, which focus on meeting three main objectives, namely in providing leadership for the development of science and technology for advanced reactor systems, supporting the safe operation and life extension of the current nuclear power plants and the safe management of used nuclear fuel, and advancing the nation’s nonproliferation and nuclear materials and security goals.

 

An overview of the Division’s capabilities and facilities will be provided, and the main research programs will be described, including the collaboration with unique facilities available in other divisions at Argonne. Examples on the program scopes and technologies under development in two of the main research areas, advanced reactor design and nonproliferation, will be provided. The application of emerging technologies and innovation in advanced nuclear technology research and other applications will be covered. Finally, a brief overview will be provided on opportunities for research collaborations with staff in the Division.

 

 

Bio-Sketch:

Dr. Roglans-Ribas is the Director of the Nuclear Engineering (NE) Division at Argonne National Laboratory. He is a senior nuclear engineer and has worked at Argonne since 1987. He is responsible for overseeing the Division operations and providing programmatic leadership and strategic planning. The Division is dedicated to nuclear technology development including advanced reactors and fuel cycles, materials research, nonproliferation and national security, and environmental management programs. The Division’s extensive capabilities in modeling and simulation are applied in the development of diverse engineering systems and the optimization of their performance.

 

Dr. Roglans-Ribas has been the Argonne Program Director for the NNSA’s Material Management and Minimization-Reactor Conversion program. The program’s mission is to minimize, and to the extent possible eliminate, the use of Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) in civil applications by converting research and test reactors to the use of low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel and targets for the production of medical isotopes. Previous assignments include Associate Director of ANL’s Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative Program, Technical Director of the International Expert Group for the development of assessment methodologies for proliferation resistance and physical protection of Generation IV nuclear energy systems, co-chair of the Evaluation Methodology Group during the Generation IV nuclear energy systems Technology Roadmap, and U.S. system integration manager and co-chair of the Generation IV International Forum Steering Committee for the Sodium Fast Reactor (SFR).