Sodium Fire Design and Analysis Engineer

The Sodium Fire Design and Analysis Engineer is responsible for developing sodium fire modeling methodologies, performing commercial grade dedication of sodium fire modeling codes, and performing sodium fire modeling calculations to support the Natrium design and licensing. The engineer will work directly with other nuclear safety analysis and licensing staff to ensure technical and regulatory requirements for nuclear safety and worker protection are met.

Other engineering activities include, but are not limited to, contributing to the development of computational methodologies and models, contributing to software commercial grade dedication, participating in hazard analysis, participating to Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) exercises, participating to Structures, Systems and Components (SSC) classification, developing analytical methods, performing analysis of sodium fire as well as verification and validation activities.

Responsibilities:

• Develop methodologies to model sodium chemical reactions resulted from sodium-air reactions, sodium-water reactions and sodium-concrete reactions.
• Develop methodologies for aerosol generation and transport resulted from sodium fires.
• Perform commercial grade dedication of sodium fire modeling computer codes.
• Develop analytical models to simulate sodium fire impact.
• Support the development of mechanistic source term methods for normal operations and postulated accidents.
• Support the development of sodium fire protection program.
• Develop analytical models for containment performance including mass and energy release and subsequent leak rates.
• Perform technical work to support regulatory submittals and NRC interactions.
• Support establishment of overall functional containment strategy considering the sodium fire impact.
• Work with an interdisciplinary team of engineers to establish functional, reliability, performance, safety, and quality requirements for SSC that support the radionuclide containment function as well as support the overall design.
• Establish and maintain documentation of model development and analysis results.
• Perform engineering reviews of analyses and other engineering design media.
• Recommend design solutions for worker protection including control room habitability.

Key Qualifications and Skills:

• M.S. or Ph.D. in nuclear engineering, or other relevant engineering degree, with at least 10 years of experience in the nuclear field is required.
• In-depth knowledge of sodium chemical reactions, nuclear systems thermal-hydraulic, reactor dynamics and transient phenomena is required.
• Experience with performing sodium fire analysis using computer codes such as CONTAIN-LMR, MELCOR, SPCA-ANL, SOFIRE II, NACOM, or similar tools is desired.
• Familiarity with EMDAP and RG 1.203 is required.
• Familiarity with functional containment approach is a plus.
• Familiarity with nuclear design, regulatory requirements, and risk-informed performance-based technology guidance for Non-Light Water Reactors is required.
• Knowledgeable of PRA principles and familiar with the ASME/ANS Non-Light Water PRA standard is a plus.
• Experience with SFR safety analysis is highly desirable. Experience with other reactor designs can be considered when differentiating candidates.
• Demonstrated strong quantitative, analytical, modeling and reporting skills.
• Understanding of NQA-1 requirements associated with analysis and software management as well as experience working under a quality assurance program.
• Experience in working in multi-disciplinary engineering teams to address engineering challenges.
• Strong software engineering skills in any language are a plus.
• The successful candidate will possess a high degree of trust and integrity, communicate openly and display respect and a desire to foster teamwork.