Nuclear Fuel Project
Nuclear Fuel Project
I am a nuclear engineer from Italy. The first project I completed was as an external consultant for PALLAS Foundation. In this project I supported Juan Matías Tuñón (Lead Nuclear Engineer) in the fuel qualification of the future PALLAS reactor. I was very excited about this opportunity because not only was I going to start my first experience in the nuclear field, but this also gave me the opportunity to work for a company which is developing a brand new research reactor. One doesn’t get this chance often!
Part of my work was to review the fuel design reports issued by the Argentinian designer (ICHOS). The report addressed whether the fuel was able to create the ideal circumstances for the production of the required isotopes. In addition, I had to assess if the specific parameters, such as temperature, heat flux and pressure of the reactor were in accordance with the rules and regulations of the regulatory bodies. The end result of the project was a report that triggered further discussions between ICHOS and PALLAS, which helped the overall progress of the fuel qualification. Eventually, I was even asked to review the updated version of the documents. I was happy with this acknowledgement because it showed that my project manager appreciated the work that I had done.
What I really appreciated about this project were the discussions with my project manager about nuclear physics, neutronics and the mechanics of the reactor. This resulted in gaining knowledge of the systems of research reactors and a deeper understanding of fuel assemblies. Besides the knowledge gain I also experienced what it is like to work in an international environment and got the opportunity to share thoughts and learn from my coach: the PALLAS CFO Nico van Ginkel. It was an interesting and successful project.
Juan Matías Tuñón Lead Engineer Nuclear Systems Pallas
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Paolo has been quite proactive and helpful in the development of his activities. He keeps a positive and pleasant attitude, combined with respectful behaviour.
He managed to solve very technical and specialised topics in a brief amount of time.
Paolo Trainee
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My project at PALLAS offered me an insight into what it is like to work for a highly professional organisation. It was a great learning experience.
Nuclear Engineering Project
Nuclear Engineering Project
Anneloes Janssen
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Jan-Albert quickly blended in with our team and contributed in various projects throughout the year. He is a fast learner and shows good problem solving skills.
I joined the In-service Inspection team with the goal to eventually accompany them during their work peak inspections. We were to perform non-destructive weld inspections at a boiling water reactor (BWR) in Sweden.
We started with the weld inspections of the core shroud support legs using the ‘ARCHI’ manipulators. The manipulators had to be lowered under water through the reactor core grid which meant that the reactor pressure vessel of the BWR was open. These inspections were performed using a technique called Eddy current testing (ET) with the possibility of also using Ultrasonic testing (UT) if the ET technique indicated a significant defect in the weld.
Once the manipulator was in place, several arms could be folded out so that the ET sensor could be positioned on the weld that needed inspection. Controlling the manipulator is something we trained for during the project preparation. The manipulator then moves the ET sensor in a scan pattern and the data is seen on a screen and interpreted by someone in the team. Interpreting the data looked like reading text with a foreign alphabet and all the data interpreters in the inspection team have to be qualified in order to do so.
We then started with the J-Groove and connection weld inspections which were located in and around pipes entering the reactor pressure vessel. The manipulators for these inspections were all connected to a remote controlled submarine and followed a similar data acquisition/interpretation process. After the inspections were completed it was time to clean up and for the data interpreters to finish the reports for the client.
Jan-Albert (left on photo) Trainee
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I have had an amazing experience in 2020 with the inspections being the cherry on top. It is something that I will always remember throughout my career.