Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy

In this episode, we discuss... Paul's introduction to the nuclear industry as a project finance attorney for Bechtel. The definition and history of nuclear project financing. The ability and benefits of a state wanting to purchase a power plant v. a municipality. Issues associated with financial modeling. Innovative financing and financing from a lender's perspective. The benefits of regulation and deregulation of the market. Why competition in the market isn't always good. The disadvantages of using renewables both in construction and application. The economic impact of global warming and why messaging matters. Double standards that exist in the oil and nuclear industry. Why the US government and nuclear corporations need to come together and provide one voice. Bilateral relationships and the geopolitical nuances of the nuclear industry.

In this episode, we discuss...​ Laura's entrance into the nuclear field. Discovering how to reduce weapons of mass destruction through cooperation. The history behind and challenges of implementing the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction. The evolution of nuclear threats and the modern approach to securing nuclear materials. Nuclear Threat Initiative and its impact. Addressing the spent fuel pool in a facility outside Belgrade. How the Global Threat Initiative became a launchpad for addressing proliferation challenges. Laura's duties and accomplishments as an ambassador for the IAEA. Nuclear safety and security culture. Why bringing nuclear energy to a country can reduce the nuclear weapons risk. The challenges we face today in the international nuclear community.

Episode Content: Ken's start with the Nuclear Arms Control Program at the Association for the Advancement of Science. Why it is important to make technical nuclear concepts accessible to others. How the theory of arms control is viewed then and now. The lack of institutional adaptation and why it is essential to reform it. The Cooperative Threat Reduction and the Nuclear Security Summit Process. How the nuclear nonproliferation community and nuclear energy committee united. The prejudice against nuclear and the issue of nuclear geopolitics. The consequences of a disturbed supply chain. Why the global security regime for nuclear power must be improved. Cyber-nuclear and artificial intelligence. The importance of maintaining the "New Iron Triangle."

Episode Content:​ Amanda's interest in chemistry and her work at a crime lab. A breakdown of molybdenum 99 and technetium 99m. Why metastable isotopes are useful for medical applications. What are ligins? From a security perspective, why it's in the US' interest to domestically produce molybdenum 99. The traditional and nontraditional methods of producing molybdenum 99. Tradeoffs of different production processes. The Argonne Molybdenum Research Experiment. Why precipitating uranium creates a hotspot. How corrosion can be beneficial in producing uranium peroxide precipitate. What's in store for the future.

Episode Content: Tom's introduction to the nuclear industry from a history project. How Chernobyl reinforced the importance of nuclear and safety. Why reactor physicists are crucial when designing reactors. Unprotected loss of flow tests and unprotected loss of heat sink tests. Scram Systems and their importance during a shutdown failure. The Generation 4 International Forum. Why it's important to be involved and engaged in the international community. The difference in start-up procedures for sodium reactors and light water reactors. SAS and what code means in the nuclear world. Economic modeling for reactors and the future of sodium technology.

Episode Content: Hussein's fascination with reactor physics and kinetics. Methods used to recover detailed information of reaction rates in the core. The definition of course information. How reducing computational uncertainty allows you to design closer to material capability. Time-dependent changes to chemical structures. How predictions and data encourage the move away from light water reactors. Moving from spent fuel to used fuel. The implications of pyro-processing. The Generation 4 Initiative and the future of nuclear reactors. How to economically analyze technology options. The importance of having a diverse system of commercially-pursued technology. Addressing the challenge of bringing new technologies to the market.

Episode Content: Chris' start in the Nuclear Propulsion Office Candidate Program. Training with the A1W Prototype in Idaho Falls. Technology development and sodium-cooled power plants. Improving the cost performance of technology. Advanced and vessel refueling machines. Sodium and its different mediums. The history of metal and the importance of building to increasing scale for commercialization. Alkaline metal technology development. Function of the cold trap in a sodium loop. The differences between a sodium system and a light water system. Aqueous and pyro processing technology development The importance of maintaining the US' technology edge and knowledge base

Episode Content: John's introduction to nuclear during his work with the Geological Survey. How radiocarbon dating actually works. The interdisciplinary nature of the nuclear industry. In what circumstances types of fuels are considered efficient. Energy produced with plutonium v. uranium. Core-reload strategies and how it can save billions in electricity production. Improving efficiency without compromising safety. The importance of economies of scale and innovation culture. Why studying the effect of radiation on materials is important. Isotope production and its different medical applications. Stress-test procedures and radioactive contrast. A discussion about high density fuel.

Episode Content: Spencer's start studying the history of science at the American Institute of Physics. Unraveling the origin of the French Nuclear Program. The intersection of nuclear fear and politics. The role of psychology in understanding public reluctance towards nuclear energy. The interaction between carbon dioxide and oceans; the significance of climate change. A discussion of the race between technology and the evolution of human morality. How nuclear imagery can affect our perception of nuclear energy. The importance of political culture in the international sphere. The outlook of nuclear energy, moving forward.

Episode Content: Ken's start doing safety analysis, including his work at Three Mile Island. How probabilistic risk assessment correlates to what happens at plants. An overview of the risk-informed regulation movement in the 90's. The role of vents during nuclear plant accidents. Nuclear maintenance, plant engineering, and risk assessment. The best strategies to control fission products after severe accidents. Severe accident analysis and international collaborations. Defining HEPA filters and identifying its impact. The roadmap to commercialization and the importance of identifying the market. Why research and development is crucial to form partnerships.