AboutDr. Kent Welter Expertise Nuclear Reactor Safety Analysis, Generation IV Reactors, Thermal-Hydraulics, Nuclear Analysis, Environmental Aspects of Nuclear Power, Sustainable Development, Nuclear Engineering Education and Training, Knowledge Management, and Climate Change.
Experience Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from Oregon State University (2002). Experience as a Reactor Systems Engineer at the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Executive Committee Member, Enviromental Sciences Division, American Nuclear Society.
Question I am looking for suggestions on research topics for a Ph.D. thesis in Mechanical Engineering. I would appreciate any ideas that you might have on on topics that you might feel are worth considering as a result of your experience. What follows is some background so that you may understand my situation.
I am a working nuclear engineer at a utility and my experience is primarily in reactor physics for core reloads and spent fuel storage. My code experience is with the Westinghouse Advanced Nodal Code package and KENO. We don't use any thermal hydraulic codes even though I have access to RETRAN.
I have recently completed my MS in mechanical engineering and I am currently pursuing doctoral studies in mechanical engineering at the University of Florida. My ME studies have and will concentrate on heat transfer and fluid flow. I have been doing my graduate work part-time and off campus and will continue to do so until I am required to spend time on campus.
I am in the process of coming up with a thesis topic to propose to my graduate department. It has been suggested that I try to combine something nuclear related to thermal-hydraulics and that it be somewhat theoretical since I am off campus and do not have access to any research facilities.
Answer Wow, you need a topic for a PhD. I have a couple of friends in the NE department at Florida. I think they've all graduated though. I met them at a conference in DC. Well, anyway, back to the topic.
I'm two months away from my PhD and am just finishing up my dissertation. You could use that and just change my name? Just kidding.
What utill do your work for? I start work at the NRC in Sept. My professors are well known in the thermal-hydraulics field, so I can give you some of the info that has rubbed off.
Lot's of the thermal-hydraulic work is related to two-phase flow. Which is a huge unknow still. I can think of a ton of things. Some that are more popular are Interficial Area Transport, Liquid Metal Instability Analysis, Pool Entrainment, Phase Separation/Liquid Entrainment in Tees, Helic Coil Steam Generator Efficiency. And more...
If you are really interested in thermal-hydraulic work, we have real projects that need to be tackled. If you can give me your email, I can pass it to my professors who could really focus and guide your research. If you are interested in callaboration, email me at welter@engr.orst.edu.
