Summer school in session for next-generation nuclear engineers

By Beth Burmahl

Modeling, experimentation and validation of nuclear reactor designs are cornerstones of MeV Summer School.

With the goal of learning about next-generation nuclear advancements, early career nuclear engineers gathered at the recent 2024 Modeling, Experimentation & Validation (MeV) Summer School hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory. The school is organized by Argonne and DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

Founded in 2009, the summer school offers advanced studies in modeling, experimentation and validation of nuclear reactor design.

Nearly 50 students attended the intense two-week learning experience that featured a prestigious roster of 71 nuclear experts in academia, industry and government. All were interested in discussing the latest findings in nuclear science. Along with lectures, the multi-faceted event offered workshops, breakout sessions and tours.

“This event is essential not only for the students who gain a deep understanding of key nuclear topics, but also for faculty who contribute to shaping the next generation of nuclear experts.” — Chang-ho Lee, Argonne National Laboratory

Giving students hands-on experience and exposure to the brightest minds in nuclear science is core to the school’s mission, said event faculty member and Argonne Principal Nuclear Engineer Emily Shemon. Shemon, who attended her first MeV Summer School as a student in 2011, presented a lecture and served as a mentor at the event.

“This MeV Summer School offers a very important training opportunity,” she said. ​“We are on the precipice of significant change in the nuclear industry, and we need really smart, qualified people to take this industry to the next generation. It is a unique forum for connecting students with experts and giving them practical knowledge and awareness of other research underway in the field.”

A diverse mix of students from domestic and international labs, academia and industry share an intensive learning experience at a critical point in their careers, said Chang-ho Lee, dean of the 2024 MeV Summer School.

“The lectures provide an excellent summary of each subject area,” said Lee, who leads the methods and software development group in Argonne’s Nuclear Science and Engineering division. ​“This event is essential not only for the students who gain a deep understanding of key nuclear topics, but also for faculty who contribute to shaping the next generation of nuclear experts.”

Critical to designing nuclear reactors, modeling and simulation allow engineers to replicate the behavior of nuclear systems and simulate the fundamental physics underlying the reactions. Innovations help develop the data and tools companies need to support their licensing applications.

Focusing on this year’s theme, ​“Advanced Reactor Physics and Modeling and Simulation: Bridging Theories, Tools and Practice,” lecture topics included fuel cycle evaluation and screening, future energy and licensing perspectives, advanced nuclear energy systems, experiments and validation, multi-physics modeling and simulation, exascale computing for nuclear energy, digital twin applications and AI/machine learning capabilities. Entire days focused on themes including molten salt, gas-cooled and light water reactors.

Students engage with experts industry-wide

For students, learning from experts throughout the nuclear energy ecosystem offered perspective beyond their area of expertise, said Amanda Bachmann, who joined Argonne as a nuclear engineer in 2024 after working as a postdoctoral researcher.

“This forum does a great job of pulling together students and professionals to help bridge our gaps in knowledge,” Bachmann said. ​“For example, I have a research background, but it helped me to get the industry perspective on issues I wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to, and vice versa. There were attendees who work in nuclear power plants who learned about other areas of the industry. It really broadens your perspective.”

Guided by faculty who served as mentors, students broke into eight teams to develop a project and present their ideas on the final day.

Bachmann’s team designed a microreactor and presented a high-level overview.

“We were encouraged to be creative. Our microreactor had a floating core similar to a flow meter used in hospitals,” Bachmann said. ​“The coolant that flows through the core would control the reactivity and potentially the power level.”

Shemon said the projects effectively integrated what students learned over two weeks.

“I was really impressed with the questions students asked and their engagement with faculty and mentors,” she said. ​“It was clear they made strong connections between what they learned during the summer school and their own projects. They were highly engaged throughout the program.”

Attendees also met for lunch and dinner to discuss issues like networking, exascale simulations and AI applications in a more casual setting. They toured Argonne facilities including the Advanced Photon Source, a recently upgraded DOE Office of Science user facility, and Constellation Energy’s LaSalle Clean Energy Center.

This was the 14^th MeV Summer School led by Argonne, INL and ORNL, with support from the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, nuclear energy industry partners and Idaho State University.  

Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology by conducting leading-edge basic and applied research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://​ener​gy​.gov/​s​c​ience.