Andrew Panter Email and Phone Number

In the Methods Development Group of the Nuclear Science and Engineering Division, I optimized energy group structures for pebble-bed reactor simulations. I wrote a simulated annealing routine to generate and evaluate various fine-group structures for collision probability method calculations in the MOOSE-based particle transport solver Griffin. This algorithm generated hundreds of cross section libraries using NJOY, tested them in steady-state Griffin problems, and used the results as metrics to inform the next structure generation. Following steady-state analysis, structures were also evaluated on equilibrium depletion performance.This routine generated an 80-group optimized structure, reducing memory costs over the currently-used 400-group structure. As compared to the initial informed structure guess, the optimized structure reduced total reaction rate error over all isotopes and energy groups by more than a factor of 2. Every simulated isotope realized a notable reduction in absorption rate error. Additionally, steady-state spatial power distribution errors and isotope inventory errors decreased appreciably. To find other structures optimized to different results, the class of problem and figure of merit can be easily altered.

I instructed NERS 211, Introduction to Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences. This class was designed to introduce nuclear science to non-nuclear STEM students. I taught 120 engineers across various disciplines about radiation, nuclear power, reactor safety, health physics, and more. I hosted interactive discussion sections to encourage critical thinking, not only applicable to nuclear engineering, but also to each students' major. I helped students find a topic for a brief research paper on a recent nuclear technology development that interested them to foster a tailored educational experience. I also had the pleasure of lecturing a few times on two of my favorite subjects: chain reactions and reactor design.