WASHINGTON, Dec 23, 2004 -- U.S. Newswire
Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham today announced 35 research awards to U.S. universities totaling $21 million over three years to engage students and professors in the Department of Energy's (DOE) major nuclear energy research and development programs, including the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative, the Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems Initiative and the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative.
"This vitally important research will benefit both our advanced technology development efforts and our academic system to have America's best and brightest students and professors work with us to conduct this challenging research," Secretary Abraham said. "The awards we announce today will bring us a step closer to a better, more secure energy future and also help develop the scientists and engineers that will keep the United States at the forefront of technology well into the future."
The 35 projects announced today were selected in a rigorous peer review of 160 proposals from universities all over the United States. The selected projects will be conducted at 25 U.S. universities in 22 different states. Many of the participants represent institutions that have not participated in DOE nuclear technology programs in recent years.
Most of the awards are for a three year period. The total funding for the awards over the three year period ranges from $299,000 to $914,000. There is also one award with a duration of approximately one year; this award is for $116,000. The research projects and additional information on other DOE nuclear science and engineering educational initiatives that are sponsored by the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology are available at http://www.nuclear.gov.
DOE will now enter into negotiations with the 25 universities selected to reach final cooperative agreement terms including award dates.
Following is a list of the university awardees, along with the title of the project and the FY 2005 award amount and total.
University; Title; FY 2005 Award; Total
Arizona State University; Determination of Basic Structure- Property Relations for Processing and Modeling in Advanced Nuclear Fuels: Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties; $150,000; $451,000
Clemson University; The Sulfur-Iodine Cycle: Process Analysis and Design Using Comprehensive Phase Equilibrium Measurements and Modeling; $289,000; $856,000
Colorado School of Mines; The Application of Self-Propagating- High-Temperature Synthesis (SHS) to the Fabrication of Actinide Bearing Nitride and Other Ceramic Nuclear Fuels; $150,000; $462,000
Georgia Institute of Technology; Minor Actinide Doppler Coefficient Measurement Assessment; $116,000; $116,000
Illinois Institute of Technology; In-Situ X-ray Spectroscopic Studies of the Fundamental Chemistry of Pb and Pb-Bi Corrosion Processes at High Temperatures: Development and Assessment of Composite Corrosion Resistant Materials; $250,000; $914,000
Iowa State University; Detailed Reactor Kinetics for CFD Modeling of Nuclear Fuel Pellet Coating for High-Temperature Gas- Cooled Reactors; $182,000; $449,000
Johns Hopkins University; Silicon Carbide Ceramics for Compact Heat Exchangers; $300,000; $902,000
Massachusetts Institute of Technology; "Optimized, Competitive Supercritical-CO2 Cycle GFR for Gen-IV Service"; $250,000; $780,000
North Carolina State University; On-line Fuel Failure Monitor for Fuel Testing and Monitoring of Gas Cooled Very High Temperature Reactors; $183,000; $498,000
Oregon State University; Plutonium Chemistry in the UREX(plus) Separation Processes; $272,000; $764,000
Purdue University; Development of an Engineered Product Storage Concept for the UREX(plus)1 Combined Transuranic/Lanthanide Product Streams; $300,000; $900,000
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Development of Modeling Capabilities for the Analysis of Supercritical Water-Cooled Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics and Dynamics; $119,000; $374,000
State University of New York - Stonybrooke; Novel Processing of Unique Ceramic-Based Nuclear Materials and Fuels; $272,000; $817,000
Texas A&M University; "Utilization of Minor Actinices as a Fuel Component for Ultra-Long Life VHTR Configurations: Designs, Advantages and Limitations"; $127,000; $386,000
Texas A&M University; Development of Nanostructured Materials with Improved Radiation Tolerance for Advanced Nuclear Systems; $209,000; $575,000
University of California - Berkeley; Development of a Risk- Based and Technology-Independent Safety Criteria for Generation IV Systems; $148,000; $457,000
University of California - Berkeley; Development and Analysis of Advanced High-Temperature Technology for Nuclear Heat Transport and Power Conversion; $191,000; $576,000
University of California - Santa Barbara; Development of High Temperature Ferritic Alloys and Performance Prediction Methods for Advanced Fission Energy Systems; $180,000; $549,000
University of Cincinnati; BWR Assembly Optimization for Minor Actinide Recycling; $129,000; $400,000
University of Florida; Optimization of Oxide Compounds for Advanced Inert Matrix Materials; $183,000; $577,000
University of Florida; The Development of Models to Optimize Selection of Nuclear Fuel Materials through Atomic-Level Simulation; $175,000; $508,000
University of Florida; Synthesis and Optimization of the Sintering Kinetics of Actinide Nitrides; $181,000; $587,000
University of Illinois; The Effect of H and He on Irradiation Performance of Fe and Ferritic Alloys; $148,000; $459,000
University of Illinois; Real-Time Corrosion Monitoring in Lead and Lead-Bismuth Systems; $171,000; $484,000
University of Michigan; Alloys for 1000 C Service in the Next Generation Nuclear Plant; $250,000; $874,000
University of Michigan; Development of TRU Transmuters for Optimization of the Global Fuel Cycle; $175,000; $806,000
University of Missouri-Rolla; Heat Exchanger Studies for Supercritical CO2 Power Conversion System; $96,000; $300,000
University of Tennessee; Uncertainty Analyses of Advanced Fuel Cycles; $217,000; $663,000
University of Tennessee; Ambient Laboratory Coater for Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development; $137,000; $441,000
University of Wisconsin; The Adoption of Advanced Fuel Cycle Technology Under a Single Repository Policy; $96,000; $299,000
University of Wisconsin; Candidate Materials Evaluation for the Supercritical Water-cooled Reactor; $250,000; $900,000
University of Wisconsin; Molten Salt Heat Transport Loop: Materials Corrosion and Heat Transfer Phenomena; $231,000; $647,000
Utah State University; Validation and Enhancement of Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer Predictive Capabilities for Generation IV Reactors Systems; $217,000; 600,000
Washington State University; Selective Separation of Trivalent Actinides from Lanthanides by Aqueous Processing with Introduction of Soft Donor Atoms; $281,000; $859,000
Washington State University; Selective Separation of Americium from Lanthanides and curium By Aqueous Processing with Redox Adjustment; $245,000; $847,000
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