Thesis Topics

• Engineering and safety aspects in the MIT ARC fusion reactor project

🌐Thesis abroad

Keywords: ARC, NUCLEAR FUSION

References: RAFFAELLA TESTONI, MASSIMO ZUCCHETTI

External references: HARTWIG ZACHARY (MIT, Cambridge, USA), WHYTE DENNIS (MIT, Cambridge, USA)

Thesis type: COMPUTATIONAL/EXPERIMENTAL

Description: Available various theses on engineering and safety aspects in the MIT ARC fusion reactor project (USA). Neutronics, neutron-induced radioactivity, accident scenarios, design, activated corrosion products, presence and transport of tritium, thermomechanical analysis, localization, design, MHD, etc. The theses can also be carried out partially or entirely in collaboration or on-site with MIT (Boston). Contact the professor.

• Neutronic analysis on compact fusion tokamaks

Keywords: MODELLING

References: RAFFAELLA TESTONI, MASSIMO ZUCCHETTI, DAVIDE PETTINARI

Thesis type: MODELING AND SIMULATION

Description: The candidate should develop neutronic analysis on compact fusion tokamaks with OpenMC code. Selection of suitable nuclear data libraries and quantification of associated uncertainties should be carried out.

• Studio dell'impatto acustico di sistemi energetici

🏢Thesis in company

Keywords: MODELLING

References: RAFFAELLA TESTONI

External references: MAURO MONTRUCCIO (RAMS&E)

Thesis type: MODELING AND SIMULATION

Description: Development of acoustic impact studies with reference to energy plants. Thesis in collaboration with RAMS&E: Reliability Availability Maintainability and Safety company.

• The Stored Energy Fingerprints of Radiation Damage

🏢Thesis in company

Keywords: FISSION GEN IV REACTORS, NUCLEAR FUSION, RADIATION DAMAGE, STORED ENERGY FINGERPRINTS

References: RAFFAELLA TESTONI, MASSIMO ZUCCHETTI

External references: Michael Short - MIT Cambridge (MA) - USA

Thesis type: COMPUTATIONAL/SPERIMENTAL

Description: The current unit of radiation damage, the displacements per atom (DPA), is a calculated exposure parameter that does not directly yield the defect populations responsible for irradiation-induced material properties. Were an 'a posteriori' measure of radiation damage to exist, it would help to answer numerous, lingering questions about the nature and effects of irradiation. We propose the use of stored energy fingerprints as this new, more descriptive unit of radiation damage. They can be measured after irradiation, and they are hypothesized to yield information about the resulting defect populations. We present a combination of timeaccelerated molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and nanoscale differential scanning calorimetry (nanoDSC) measurements, which together paint a more measurable picture of the multiscale nature of radiation damage. Potential applications range from settling the question of neutron/ion irradiation equivalency, to quantitatively understanding dose rate effects, to verification of historical uranium enrichment [1] A first part of the project will simply collect previous work done at MIT [e.g. 2], analyzing the defects that were formed during simulated irradiation in fusion-relevant materials, finding the average energies of each type of defect that forms in the materials. Previous work found out that, as the PKA energy increased, the average energy of each defect remained constant, but the amount of clustering and the number of dislocations increased. Defect clusters and dislocations each had their own energies associated with them, allowing for some differentiation in defects solely based on the stored energy. Calorimetry heating was also simulated on the irradiated materials, showing the effect that the heating rate has on the process. The simulations allow for extrapolation to experimental heating rates. Further work at the Mesoscale Nuclear Materials Laboratory, in which the proponent would like to be involved, deals with irradiating single crystal metals and performing nanocalorimetry on the obtained samples, thus working to obtain the energy stored in each material due to irradiation. The long-term goal is to determine if this metric, the Wigner energy, is a viable way of measuring radiation damage, and if so, it will allow for a better, more universal understanding of how irradiation affects materials.

[1] http://ne.unm.edu/events/michael-short-abstract.pdf
[2] https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/112369/1011355070-MIT.pdf?sequence=1

• Improving validation of Instadose dosimeters using machine learning algorithms

🌐Thesis abroad 🏢Thesis in company

References: RAFFAELLA TESTONI

External references: FEDERICA ROBERTO (SCK-CEN), FILIP VANHVERE (SCK-CEN)

Description: The goal of the project is to develop a tool in order to help the validation of the dose results, by means of Machine Learning methods, achieve a high level of accuracy in identifying dosimeter results warranting expert attention, thereby minimizing the manual effort required for result validation.

• Experimental determination of hydrogen and deuterium Sieverts’ constants in eutectic lead-lithium alloy

🏢Thesis in company

Keywords: EXPERIMENTAL ACTIVITY

References: RAFFAELLA TESTONI, MASSIMO ZUCCHETTI

External references: ALESSANDRO VENTURINI (ENEA), DANIELE MARTELLI (ENEA)

Description:The activity will be carried out at Research Center in ENEA Brasimone. The student will follow and actively participate to the experimental campaign and to elaboration of the collcted data.

• CFD analysis of ARC VV channels

Keywords: ARC, CFD

References: RAFFAELLA TESTONI, MASSIMO ZUCCHETTI, SAMUELE MESCHINI, GABRIELE FERRERO

Description: The thesis will involve: review of available tube/channel layout to enhance HT; design of an advanced configuration; selection of the most suitable turbulence model; CFD analysis: estimation of HT coefficient, pressure drops, velocity field for a straight configuration.

• Emissioni di Radon e previsione dei sismi: modelli ed esperimenti

🏢Thesis in company

Keywords: PREVISIONE SISMI, RADON

References: RAFFAELLA TESTONI, MASSIMO ZUCCHETTI

External references: Leonardo Nicolì, Giuseppe Massimiani (iAReSP, L'Aquila)

Thesis type: MODELLISTICA E SPERIMENTALE

Description: Emissioni di Radon e previsione dei sismi: modelli ed esperimenti.
Vedi:

[1] Detection of Radon Emissions during 2016/2017 Earthquakes in central Italy


• Fusione nucleare avanzata. Reattori a Deuterio-Elio3

🌐Thesis abroad

Keywords: ARC, NUCLEAR FUSION

References: RAFFAELLA TESTONI, MASSIMO ZUCCHETTI

Thesis type: COMPUTAZIONALE/SPERIMENTALE

Description: Le rea­zioni di fusione nucleare com­pa­ti­bili con l’utilizzo in una cen­trale elet­trica sono diverse, ognuna con deter­mi­nati van­taggi e svan­taggi. L’attenzione della ricerca si sta foca­liz­zando soprat­tutto sulla rea­zione fra deu­te­rio e tri­zio (D-T) che pre­senta i requi­siti fisici più acces­si­bili per con­durre “pre­sto” al tra­guardo di un reat­tore com­mer­ciale; que­sta strada, nono­stante sia la più sem­plice, non eli­mi­ne­rebbe com­ple­ta­mente né il pro­blema delle sco­rie radioat­tive (costi­tuite prin­ci­pal­mente dalle strut­ture atti­vate dell’impianto) né quello della pro­li­fe­ra­zione, essendo il tri­zio un mate­riale rile­vante dal punto di vista bel­lico. Si avreb­bero pro­blemi di tra­sporto di sco­rie. Si avreb­bero pro­blemi di rila­scio di radioat­ti­vità, per quanto contenuti.
Una seconda opzione con­si­ste nel far fon­dere con il deu­te­rio l’isotopo più leg­gero dell’elio, quello con un solo neu­trone (D–3He); la fusione in un pla­sma così com­po­sto (pla­smi “avan­zati”) richiede il rag­giun­gi­mento di para­me­tri molto strin­genti, con tem­pe­ra­ture anche cin­que volte supe­riori a quelle neces­sa­rie nei pla­smi a D-T, ma i van­taggi otte­ni­bili sareb­bero note­voli.

• La tecnologia nucleare applicata agli aspetti di non proliferazione e di decommissioning

🏢Thesis in company

Keywords: DECOM, NON PROLIFERAZIONE, SOGIN

References: RAFFAELLA TESTONI, MASSIMO ZUCCHETTI

Thesis type: MODELLISTICA E SPERIMENTALE

Description: La tecnologia nucleare applicata agli aspetti di non proliferazione e di decommissioning.

• Neutronic analysis on compact fusion tokamaks

Keywords: NEUTRONIC, MODELLING

References: RAFFAELLA TESTONI, MASSIMO ZUCCHETTI, DAVIDE PETTINARI

Thesis type: MODELING AND SIMULATION

Description: The candidate should develop neutronic analysis on compact fusion tokamaks with OpenMC code. Selection of suitable nuclear data libraries and quantification of associated uncertainties should be carried out.

• Reattori nucleari a fusione avanzati ad alto campo magnetico

🏢Thesis in company

Keywords: FUSIONE NUCLEARE, TOKAMAK

References: RAFFAELLA TESTONI, MASSIMO ZUCCHETTI, SAMUELE MESCHINI

Thesis type: COMPUTAZIONALE

Description: La fusione nucleare è ad un punto di svolta: quali sono i requisiti per affrancarla da ogni possibile parentela con la fissione nucleare, a livello di proposta credibile per l’energetica nei paesi sviluppati nella seconda metà di questo secolo?

• Sicurezza e design del DTT Divertor Tokamak Test Facility

Keywords: FUSIONE NUCLEARE, PROGETTO, SICUREZZA RADIOLOGICA

References: RAFFAELLA TESTONI, MASSIMO ZUCCHETTI

Thesis type: COMPUTAZIONALE

Description: Sicurezza e design del DTT Divertor Tokamak Test Facility. Il progetto è inserito nel programma europeo per la fusione EUROFUSION. Contattare il proponente per dettagli aggiornati.

• Smantellamento di impianti nucleari a fissione

🏢Thesis in company

Keywords: ANALISI AMBIENTALE, DECOM, SCORIE RADIOATTIVE, SICUREZZA RADIOLOGICA

References: RAFFAELLA TESTONI, MASSIMO ZUCCHETTI

Thesis type: MODELLISTICA E SPERIMENTALE

Description: La Sogin (Società Gestione Impianti Nucleari) è incaricata per legge allo smantellamento degli attuali impianti nucleari italiani. Sono disponibili presso la Sogin di Trino Vercellese diverse tesi sperimentali e computazionali relative a problemi radiologici conseguenti alle operazioni di smantellamento. E' possibile anche integrare la tesi con uno stage aziendale.

• Smantellamento grandi componenti impianto a fissione di Trino Vercellese

🏢Thesis in company

Keywords: ANALISI AMBIENTALE, DECOM, SCORIE RADIOATTIVE, SICUREZZA RADIOLOGICA

References: RAFFAELLA TESTONI, MASSIMO ZUCCHETTI

External references: Ing. Donatella Tarsia (Sogin)

Thesis type: PROGETTAZIONE

Description: In collaborazione con la società Sogin, è prevista un'attività di tesi, associabile a tirocinio, per seguire le attività di decommissioning di grandi componenti dell'impianto nucleare di Trino Vercellese.

• Fuel cycle thesis

Keywords: FUSION FUEL CYCLE, TRITIUM TRANSPORT ANALYSIS

References: RAFFAELLA TESTONI, MASSIMO ZUCCHETTI, SAMUELE MESCHINI

Thesis type: MODELING AND SIMULATION

Description: Achieving tritium self-sufficiency is one of the greatest challenges in fusion power plant (FPP) design. Fuel cycles are highly integrated systems with interfaces involving the plasma, primary cooling system, neutron shielding, and safety systems. The required tritium breeding ratio and tritium inventories of an FPP strongly depend on the fuel cycle dynamics, plasma operations, and design goals.
Some of the available theses involve:
- Development of codes and improvement of state-of-the-art models
- Tritium transport analysis
- Preliminary design of fuel cycle systems and components
- System integration and plasma operations
The topic will be agreed with the student and tailored on the students’ interests and research advancements.