Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy

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**Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy**

A podcast featuring interviews with experts throughout the Nuclear Energy field, covering advanced technology, economics, policy, industry, and more.

Latest Episodes:

Ep 84: Amy Harder, Axios Sep 24, 2018

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In this episode we discuss...

Amy's background in journalism and her personal journey in the nuclear industry reporting on energy from the Wall Street Journal to Axios
How energy plays a role in economics and politics including the natural gas boom during the Obama era
The evolution of energy in the media and its impact on public perception
The pendulum swing of US energy regulations
Nuclear's environmental benefits and the ways in which it can aid our carbon solution and work against climate change
Amy's view of trends in electricity grids, coal, oil and natural gas, and nuclear
The importance of the US's leadership role in guiding the global nuclear sector

Ep 83: Tina Taylor, Electric Power Research Institute Sep 22, 2018

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In this episode we discuss...

Tina's background in chemical engineering and her personal evolution in the nuclear industry
Tina's early work at Northeast Utilities helping to manage the start up of Millstone 3
The chemical processes involved in a steam generator
B&W Nuclear Technologies aka Framatome
Different reactor types and their chemical components
Comparing the overall environmental impact and health risk across different energy sources including nuclear
Risk-based versus prescriptive approaches to licensing new designs in the US
Key drivers of research in plant modernization including technology to automatically monitor chemistry
Ways we can improve the economics of nuclear safety

Ep 82: Al Csontos, Electric Power Research Institute Sep 21, 2018

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In this episode we discuss...

Al's background in material science and his personal journey in the nuclear industry from the NRC to EPRI
Ways in which the NRC regulates civilian use of nuclear materials and its role at Yucca Mountain
A deep dive into pitting and dry cask storage
Various material degradation methods including crevice corrosion
The safety and economic benefits of dry storage
EPRI's research improving fuel rod coating to slow down oxidation and prolong fuel cycle within a pressurized water reactor
Ways in which EPRI is working to accelerate the deployment of these concepts
Test reactors and how they're working to expedite material qualifications

Ep 81: Andrew Sowder, Electric Power Research Institute Sep 20, 2018

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In this episode we discuss...

Andrew's background in physics and optics and his personal journey in the nuclear industry
An understanding of the metal wastes like uranium in weapons facilities and their effect on the environment
How uranium becomes radon
Chernobyl and how the facility was salvaged after the accident
A deep dive into accident tolerant fuels
The neutronics of silicon carbide versus zirconium
Improving nuclear safety and cost efficiency
Energy parks and their potential role in nuclear success
EPRI's recent study on factors that control nuclear destiny including economics and policy

Ep 80: Dave Gandy, Electric Power Research Institute Sep 19, 2018

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In this episode we discuss...

Dave's background in welding and his personal journey in the nuclear industry
The advantages of welding versus a flange
The history of ultrasonic inspection welds
Fatigue and creep in fossil plants
How data collected from materials testing in fossil plants now contributes to the nuclear industry
Temperatures required in coal plants versus those required in nuclear plants
The use of 3D printing in additive manufacturing on an industrial scale
Improving the time and cost of producing small modular reactors and Gen IV reactors
Manufacturing's vital role in increasing nuclear's scalability

Ep 79: Rob Austin, Electric Power Research Institute Sep 18, 2018

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In this episode we discuss...

Rob's background in history and his personal evolution in the nuclear industry
Design flaws that led to the Three Mile Island accident
Rob's work in plant modernization managing major electrical and digital upgrades at plants in the US
Pros and cons of analog systems versus digital systems
The core inputs essential to safety control in a plant including coolant flow and temperature parameters
Economic challenges in nuclear and how we can replace manual labor with automation to help overcome those challenges
Concerns over software common cause failure
Lessons we can learn from upgrade deficiencies in other countries
How cybersecurity is maintained in digital systems
How plant modernization methods are working to dramatically reduce the operation and maintenance costs required in nuclear

Ep 78: Dan Wells, Electric Power Research Institute Sep 17, 2018

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In this episode we discuss...

Dan's background in chemical engineering and his personal journey in the nuclear industry
Dan's work studying lanthanides and actinides
The different types of research and development an independent nonprofit organization like EPRI provides to utilities
The contributing factors within primary and secondary coolants and how they alter the chemistry of oxides on materials
Where plants get their water and the purification processes involved
How water's chemistry changes over the lifetime of a reactor why that led to the introduction of alloy 690 in steam generators
Boric acid's critical role in maintaining power level in a reactor
Automation in the water chemistry analysis space
Dan's current work providing the data necessary to qualify switching from lithium 7 to potassium hydroxide

Ep 77: Neil Wilmshurst, Electric Power Research Institute Sep 16, 2018

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In this episode we discuss...

Neil's background in the British Navy and his personal journey in the nuclear industry
Neil's work as a system engineer at Sizewell
The Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) and its work to increase a power plant's capacity factor and uptime
Understanding a plant's realtime risk profile
EPRI's relationship with the nuclear industry and where it gets its funding
EPRI's research surrounding operations and maintenance cost as well as capital cost
EPRI's long term work supporting small modular reactors
Gen IV reactors and what we need to do now to support their implementation in the coming decades

Ep 76: Eric Ingersoll, Energy Options Network Sep 14, 2018

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In this episode we discuss...

Eric's personal evolution in the nuclear industry and his entrepreneurial endeavors including General Compression
Eric's work as one of the world's leading climate change analysts and advisors
A deep dive into natural gas cavern storage
How a combination of cheap gas and lack of demand for electricity nearly eliminated the wind development industry
Why compressed air storage and wind energy can't solve the global carbon emission problem
System constraints Eric established while determining how to bring carbon-free electricity to the entire world and how advanced nuclear fits within those constraints
Commercialization development and deployment challenges with advanced reactors and how we can overcome them
The Nuclear Cost Driver Study
Ways in which we can reduce the cost and time required in the construction process to increase nuclear's scalability

Ep 75: Gene Grecheck, Dominion Energy Sep 13, 2018

Show notes

In this episode we discuss...

Gene's background in nuclear engineering and personal journey in the nuclear industry
The history of nuclear in the US including the aftermath of the Three Mile Island accident
Plant designs including Westinghouse's AP1000 and GE's ESBWR
The importance of documenting assumptions and managing margins when it comes to nuclear design and performance
The role of redundancy in safety function
Economic challenges that impeded the nuclear renaissance
The environmental benefits of nuclear including its lack of pollutants such as SO2 and nitrous oxide
Why the market doesn't yet recognize those benefits and how today's oversupply of gas slows down the push for nuclear energy
Challenges we must overcome to reach a worldwide consensus on the necessity of nuclear

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