SULI - NSE - Sotzing, Aisha - 2.16.26

Nuclear reactor metallic components, such as pressure vessels, piping, and fuel
cladding, are subjected to elevated temperatures, which can result to material
deformation through creep. At the microstructural level, creep damage involves
formation of microscopic voids along grain boundaries. As these voids coalesce,
they form micro-cracks that lead to macroscopic brittle fracture. Nondestructive
evaluation (NDE) of reactor materials could potentially allow for early detection of
creep in critical structures. Pulsed Infrared Thermography (PIT) is a non-contact
nondestructive evaluation (NDE) method that uses infrared imaging and heat
transfer, which can potentially detect creep in a metallic structures. This project will
develop a computational framework for COMSOL modeling heat transfer in a
metal using a granular structure generated with NEPER to evaluate PIT sensitivity
in detecting creep. Our hypothesis is that the presence of voids in the metal
reduces the surface heat decay rate. Computer simulations will be performed for
planar and cylindrical geometries. Machine learning approaches for extraction the
values of thermal diffusivity from the simulated transient temperature data will be
considered.

Education and Experience Requirements

• The entirety of the appointment must be conducted within the United States.
• Applicants must be:

‒ Currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate studies at an accredited institution.

‒ Graduated from an accredited institution within the past 3 months; or

‒ Actively enrolled in a graduate program at an accredited institution.

• Must be 18 years or older at the time the appointment begins.
• Must possess a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or Legal Permanent Resident at the time of application.
• If accepting an offer, must pass a screening drug test

Job Family

Job Profile

Worker Type

Time Type

Scheduled Weekly Hours

EEO Information

As an equal employment opportunity employer, and in accordance with our core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork, Argonne National Laboratory is committed to a safe and welcoming workplace that fosters collaborative scientific discovery and innovation. Argonne encourages everyone to apply for employment. Argonne is committed to nondiscrimination and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by law.

Argonne employees, and certain guest researchers and contractors, are subject to particular restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation in the application phase for review by Argonne's Legal Department.