Address
Form of workTITLE: Neutronics Methods Intern
LOCATION: Bellevue, WA, USA
TerraPower is a nuclear technology company based in Bellevue, Washington. At its core, the company is working to raise living standards globally through a more affordable, secure and environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy along with innovations in medical isotopes to improve human health. In 2006, TerraPower originated with Bill Gates and a group of like-minded visionaries who evaluated the fundamental challenges to raising living standards around the world. They recognized energy access was crucial to the health and economic well-being of communities and decided that the private sector needed to take action and create energy sources that would advance global energy deployment. TerraPower's mission is to be a world leader in new nuclear technologies, while developing innovators and future leaders in the nuclear field. As a result, the company's activities in the fields of nuclear energy and related sciences are yielding significant innovations in the safety and economics of nuclear power, hybrid energy and medical applications - all for significant human health benefits.
TerraPower is seeking to hire highly motivated and forward-thinking professionals who are interested in focusing on advanced nuclear reactor research and development and influencing change within the nuclear power landscape and bringing forward the critical production of medical isotopes. TerraPower is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. In addition, as a federal contractor, TerraPower has instituted an Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) in an effort to proactively recruit, hire, and promote women, minorities, disabled persons and veterans.
Neutronics Methods Intern
The Neutronics Methods Intern will work with the Nuclear Methods team to develop a high-quality decay heat dataset to be used for decay heat validation. This data will be developed from transient shutdown tests performed on the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF). These heavily-instrumented tests were initially performed to characterize the core's natural circulation behavior prior to commencing full power operations and helped to significantly increase the industry's understanding of passive safety in SFRs. Accurate predictions of decay heat are necessary for the design of important features of the Natrium plant such as the Reactor Air Cooling (RAC) system.
The intern will work closely with the Nuclear Methods team to explore this potential validation source and develop a dataset that can be used in subsequent formal validation activities. While the extraction of the decay heat information from the transient data is clearly possible in principle, the exact methodology has not yet been developed. The major goal of the project is to research and develop this methodology and implement it to develop a high-quality, documented validation dataset that can be used in subsequent efforts by the Nuclear Methods team. Time permitting, the Intern will participate in these subsequent efforts by using an existing FFTF computational model to compare decay heat predictions from the model against the validation dataset.
Responsibilities
Key Qualifications and Skills
Nuclear engineering skills
Computational skills
Other skills
Job Functions
Job Functions are physical actions and/or working conditions associated with the position. These functions may also constitute essential functions for the job which the employee must be able to fulfill, with or without accommodation. Information provided below is to help describe the job so that the applicant has a reasonable understanding of the job duties/expectations. An applicant's ability to perform and/or tolerate these actions and conditions will be discussed and workplace accommodations may be made on a case-by-case basis following an individualized assessment of the applicant and other considerations, including but not limited to any governing safety standards.
TerraPower's technology is controlled for export by various agencies of the U.S. Government. TerraPower must evaluate applicants who are foreign nationals (other than asylees, refugees, or lawful permanent residents) in accordance with U.S. Government export control requirements. To facilitate TerraPower's export control reviews, you will be asked as part of the application process to identify whether you are a U.S. Citizen or national, asylee, refugee, or lawful permanent resident of the United States. Government export authorization approval times vary. Based on the business needs for a particular position, TerraPower may not consider a foreign national from a country if it is impracticable to obtain timely Government export approval.
Job details
Hourly rate range**
Undergraduate: $21.00 - $27.50
Post-grad including PhD: $32.00 - $48.00
Job Type: Intern
Benefits:
**Intern pay rate will be commensurate with degree path and academic year completed at start of Internship.
Please visit www.terrapower.com to apply
LOCATION: Bellevue, WA, USA
TerraPower is a nuclear technology company based in Bellevue, Washington. At its core, the company is working to raise living standards globally through a more affordable, secure and environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy along with innovations in medical isotopes to improve human health. In 2006, TerraPower originated with Bill Gates and a group of like-minded visionaries who evaluated the fundamental challenges to raising living standards around the world. They recognized energy access was crucial to the health and economic well-being of communities and decided that the private sector needed to take action and create energy sources that would advance global energy deployment. TerraPower's mission is to be a world leader in new nuclear technologies, while developing innovators and future leaders in the nuclear field. As a result, the company's activities in the fields of nuclear energy and related sciences are yielding significant innovations in the safety and economics of nuclear power, hybrid energy and medical applications - all for significant human health benefits.
TerraPower is seeking to hire highly motivated and forward-thinking professionals who are interested in focusing on advanced nuclear reactor research and development and influencing change within the nuclear power landscape and bringing forward the critical production of medical isotopes. TerraPower is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. In addition, as a federal contractor, TerraPower has instituted an Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) in an effort to proactively recruit, hire, and promote women, minorities, disabled persons and veterans.
Neutronics Methods Intern
The Neutronics Methods Intern will work with the Nuclear Methods team to develop a high-quality decay heat dataset to be used for decay heat validation. This data will be developed from transient shutdown tests performed on the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF). These heavily-instrumented tests were initially performed to characterize the core's natural circulation behavior prior to commencing full power operations and helped to significantly increase the industry's understanding of passive safety in SFRs. Accurate predictions of decay heat are necessary for the design of important features of the Natrium plant such as the Reactor Air Cooling (RAC) system.
The intern will work closely with the Nuclear Methods team to explore this potential validation source and develop a dataset that can be used in subsequent formal validation activities. While the extraction of the decay heat information from the transient data is clearly possible in principle, the exact methodology has not yet been developed. The major goal of the project is to research and develop this methodology and implement it to develop a high-quality, documented validation dataset that can be used in subsequent efforts by the Nuclear Methods team. Time permitting, the Intern will participate in these subsequent efforts by using an existing FFTF computational model to compare decay heat predictions from the model against the validation dataset.
Responsibilities
- Understand the background and basis of the FFTF transient shutdown tests
- Develop methodology to reduce and extract decay heat measurements from the tests to produce validation dataset
- Use FFTF computational neutronics model to generate predictions of decay heat and compare against validation dataset
- Perform uncertainty assessments of both the validation dataset as well as the predicted computational results
Key Qualifications and Skills
Nuclear engineering skills
- Fast reactor physics and design intuition, particularly with transient plant behavior
- Thermal/hydraulics experience
- Experience in understanding and executing nuclear design/analysis methodologies, especially decay heat
- Experience with some nuclear engineering software such as DIF3D, MC2, PARTISN, MCNP, Serpent, SCALE, PARCS, APA, CASMO, DRAGON, ARMI, etc. preferred
Computational skills
- Good computational expertise required: we consider computers to be the universe at our fingertips rather than burdensome necessities
- Programming experience in any language required, preferably in scientific computing; bonus points for Python
- Working knowledge of software development tools (e.g. IDEs, version control, profilers, debuggers)
Other skills
- Strong formal technical documentation skills preferred
- Self-motivated: able to seek out tasks and produce value aligned with team goals without waiting for next assignment
- Strong verbal communication skills desired
- Must be enrolled in a nuclear engineering program at an accredited university
- The successful candidate will possess a high degree of trust and integrity, communicate openly and display respect and a desire to foster teamwork.
Job Functions
Job Functions are physical actions and/or working conditions associated with the position. These functions may also constitute essential functions for the job which the employee must be able to fulfill, with or without accommodation. Information provided below is to help describe the job so that the applicant has a reasonable understanding of the job duties/expectations. An applicant's ability to perform and/or tolerate these actions and conditions will be discussed and workplace accommodations may be made on a case-by-case basis following an individualized assessment of the applicant and other considerations, including but not limited to any governing safety standards.
- Motor Abilities: Sitting and/or standing for extended periods, bending/stooping, grasping/gripping, fine motor control (hands)
- Physical exertion and/or requirements: Minimal, with ability to safely lift up to 25 pounds
- Repetitive work: Prolonged
- Special Senses: Visual and audio focused work
- Work Conditions: Stairs, typing/keyboard, standard and/or sitting working environment of >8 hrs./day
- Travel required: 0-5%
TerraPower's technology is controlled for export by various agencies of the U.S. Government. TerraPower must evaluate applicants who are foreign nationals (other than asylees, refugees, or lawful permanent residents) in accordance with U.S. Government export control requirements. To facilitate TerraPower's export control reviews, you will be asked as part of the application process to identify whether you are a U.S. Citizen or national, asylee, refugee, or lawful permanent resident of the United States. Government export authorization approval times vary. Based on the business needs for a particular position, TerraPower may not consider a foreign national from a country if it is impracticable to obtain timely Government export approval.
Job details
Hourly rate range**
Undergraduate: $21.00 - $27.50
Post-grad including PhD: $32.00 - $48.00
Job Type: Intern
Benefits:
- Competitive Compensation
- Hourly pay rate
- Weekly stipend for out of area Interns
- Weekly commuter stipend for local area Interns
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Interns accrue 1 hour of PTO for every 40 hours worked
- Holiday Schedule
- Paid holidays commensurate with Internship period and TerraPower Holiday Schedule
- Relocation Assistance for out of area Interns
**Intern pay rate will be commensurate with degree path and academic year completed at start of Internship.
Please visit www.terrapower.com to apply
