A novel high temperature thermal instrument is proposed, which utilizes a dual-sensing platinum resistor encased in a mono-crystalline alpha-alumina (sapphire) substrate. The instrument is comprised of four platinum trace elements, oriented with 90° rotational symmetry atop a 1120 oriented crystal lattice substrate. All four of these sensors measure temperature directly...
To quantify the relative activity contributions of beta emitters in mixed emission source spectra, the triple-layer phoswich detector was modeled to generate beta energy absorption spectra from mixed beta sources. These mixed sources include four pure beta emitters (C-14, Tc-99, Sr-90, and Y-90). Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) computer code was...
The application of two-phase magnetohydrodynamic(MHD) in liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors presents opportunities to simplify the power generation system by eliminating moving components like a turbine for enhanced safety. The proposed system in this thesis consists of two loops with immiscible working fluids. The compressed gas expands in the two-phase...
Archaeological investigations at the Cooper's Ferry site in Western Idaho have recovered cultural remains dating to 16,000 years ago, suggesting the oldest human occupation recorded in North America. However, many archaeologists have argued the initial peopling of North America occurred no earlier than the opening of an ice-free corridor between...
Soil is a valuable medium when investigating the past-- from understanding rates of development, landform evolution, to the construction of various predictive models. Landforms and sediments provide insight into depositional environments and soil morphology indicates pedogenic change within those landforms. The rate at which pedogenesis occurs has been quantitatively measured...
A provenance study of crypto-crystalline silicates was performed at the Cooper's Ferry archaeological site in west-central Idaho on the Columbia Plateau. In this research, the author used instrumental neutron activation analysis as well as portable x-ray fluorescence to examine and characterize the geochemistry of 300 geologic samples of crypto-crystalline silicates...
Traditional robots have a long history in nuclear-related work because their integration decreases risk to humans in dangerous environments. Soft robotics is one promising new branch of traditional robotics with proposed applications in industry, medicine, and society. Collaborators from the Robotics mLab at Oregon State University (OSU) are currently working...
Coal-fired power plants constitute a significant source of energy production for the United States, and are projected to do so for decades to come. Most of the scrutiny coal-fired power plants receive is in the form of environmental concerns regarding green house gas emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and...
Since High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors are being considered as most promising design of upcoming IV Gen reactors, thus key research areas were identified to address safety aspects of this design. Number of simulations and experiments need to be conducted in this field. In this study thermal-hydraulics aspects of coolant flow...
The objective of this research was to estimate the radiological impact on various non-human biotas by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear power plant radiation release resulting from Japan's tsunami in March 2011 consistent with the recent recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Soil concentration data given by Japan's Ministry...