Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing The World Experts On Nuclear Energy

In this episode we discuss... Joyce’s unique journey from study of poetry to international relations to the nuclear field Joyce’s international experiences in the Peace Corps in Turkmenistan and later experiences in Kazakhstan in post Cold War era The history of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency The shutdown of the BN-350 fast breeder reactor in Kazakhstan Joyce’s involvement in the 123 Agreements under the Bush administration Joyce’s work as a detailee to the National Security Advisor A deep dive into the IAEA’s Additional Protocol Agreement The international impact of Fukushima Joyce’s experience serving as the first Director of Nuclear Energy Policy within the Office of International Economics Joyce’s appointment as Chairman on the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board A look at the future of nuclear and the importance of improving public awareness

In this episode we discuss... Umair’s background in journalism and biochemistry and his personal journey in the nuclear space How Umair came to work for Vox and the reporting he does there on topics including climate and energy A deep dive into Vox and its mission to provide explanatory journalism The politics of nuclear energy Nuclear experts Umair interviews and how he navigates their bias and vested interests Improving climate change’s presence in the media and thus public perception Umair’s mission to broaden the general public’s knowledge on nuclear and its opportunities

In this episode we discuss... Paul’s background in human rights and environmental activism and his personal journey in the nuclear industry The Peaceful Atoms and how it sparked Paul’s concerns surrounding nuclear technology The advent of renewables including wind and solar and how the sector has evolved Paul’s worries regarding the connection between uranium enrichment and weapons The practicality of molten salt reactors Flaws Paul sees in nuclear’s waste management cycle The dangers of spent fuel on human health including the carcinogenic effects of radiation Three Mile Island and the conflicting studies surrounding its consequences on human health Bret and Paul discuss whether or not nuclear poses the fewest risks to the environment and human health compared to other energy sources

In this episode we discuss... Bob’s background in mechanical engineering and his personal journey in the nuclear industry The history of MPR and Bob’s role as Principal Officer MPR’s work with power plants across the US and its critical role in US nuclear Solutions for intergranular stress corrosion cracking in boiling water reactors How Bob copes with the stress that comes with working in nuclear The American Nuclear Society and Bob’s mission to increase its ranks as well as interest in younger generations Why Bob believes nuclear is the most sustainable energy source and what it’s going to take to make it cost efficient and deployable across the world

In this episode we discuss... Jeff’s background in environmental law and his personal journey in the nuclear industry Challenges Jeff worked to overcome at the NRC including the issue of nuclear safety culture Jeff’s work in business development for the Shaw Group Advanced reactor technology including the molten salt reactor Jeff’s work as an outside advisor to several groups including X-Energy which developed the Pebble-Bed High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor The benefits of competition within the global nuclear industry Why it’s crucial that the nuclear industry improve its communications strategies and thus public perception of the industry

In this episode we discuss... Margaret’s background in nuclear engineering and her personal journey in the nuclear industry Margaret’s work with boiling water reactors at GE The processes within phase changes in nuclear reactors The physics of bubbles in boiling water reactors and how it allows greater fuel production, lower enrichment, and reduced cost Tritium and the fears associated with it International considerations surrounding fuel and a history of the global nuclear sector How nuclear designs vary across the world - especially in the US, Europe, and Korea The benefits of government involvement in nuclear US regulations including the IAEA’s three phases necessary to build a nuclear power plant The pitfalls of natural gas and other renewables and how they impede the nuclear industry Nuclear’s environmental benefits surrounding climate change and why it’s important that the US work to set a precedent for the entire world

In this episode we discuss... Andrew’s personal journey in the nuclear industry Andrew’s book After Fukushima How nuclear’s adaptation or lack thereof has shaped our physical, social, and environmental history How Chernobyl and Fukushima shifted nuclear public relations How different countries view purchasing reactors versus homebuilt reactors Why nuclear is ultimately safer than every other energy source particularly coal The economics of nuclear waste and repositories including Yucca Mountain The Linear No-Threshold Theory of Radiation Why Andrew supports 1990s reactor designs over new designs

In this episode we discuss... Milton’s background in nuclear engineering and his personal journey in the industry Improving nuclear’s ability to stay on time and on budget Milton’s work understanding and minimizing operation risks The history of Canada’s nuclear industry Milton’s work as an independent consultant assisting with refurbishment projects in Canada including the Bruce Power refurbishment implementation agreement Challenges with refurbishment processes and how Milton helped to overcome them The World Nuclear University Milton’s role in the Canadian small modular reactor sector Natural Resources Canada’s initiative to create an SMR roadmap

In this episode we discuss... Anurag’s background in mechanical engineering and his personal journey in the nuclear industry The many changing processes that go into building a nuclear plant The financial risk profile of a nuclear plant versus that of other energy sources The government’s role in funding nuclear How nuclear plants benefit Canada and its employment rate KPMG’s work improving nuclear’s ability to stay on time and on budget and how that benefits public perception of the nuclear industry How small modular reactors can streamline production, decrease cost, and increase nuclear scalability

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this episode we discuss... Richard’s background in physics and engineering and his personal journey in the nuclear industry Richard’s work at Los Alamos creating codes to calculate ways in which neutrons interact with devices including nuclear and fusion reactors Different groups in which neutrons are categorized depending on their energy range and cross section A deep dive into the Fast Breeder Reactor Program sponsored by the Department of Energy Richard’s work in various departments at the NRC including the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation The highly precise processes within frontline safety systems How the NRC interacts with developers to bring forth new technologies including the AP600 Risk informed nuclear oversight and the probabilities it takes into consideration Accident circumstance design deficiencies the NRC has worked to resolve throughout its history Richard’s recent work with AdSTM providing consulting and training to regulatory bodies including the NRC