Purdue Nuclear Engineering Capstone Design Project

Hands-on learning through real-world applications is a cornerstone of the Purdue Nuclear Engineering experience. Senior students showcased their technical knowledge, innovation, and teamwork through industry-sponsored capstone projects, addressing current challenges in nuclear engineering. Thank you to our sponsors for providing our students with opportunities for culminating design experiences with real-life problems. This year, we had eight teams presenting industry sponsored and mentored designs:

 

      Team Westinghouse: Design of Shielding with Decay Heat Removal Attributes for the eVinci™ Microreactor
(NE Students: Blake King, Sam LoGalbo, Anna Rose, Will White) 

Project Sponsors: Megan Durse, Alan Macdonald (Westinghouse)

      Team GE: Design of Radiolytic Decomposition Products from Isolation Condenser Systems for ESBWRs
(NE Students: Maddie Burton, Dylan Johnson, Omar Saad, Shantanu Vaijyanath) 

Project Sponsors: Juliana Venouren, Liz Bramer (GE-Vernova)

      Team NRC: Design of Predictive Emergency Response System Using Machine Learning
(NE Students: Jack Jackson, Qi Heng Law, Vishwas Raja Mukundan Krishnaswamy, Halen Munday) 

Project Sponsors: Todd Smith (Nuclear Regulatory Commission)

      Team BW-AI Labs: Optimized LPRM Detector Pattern Design
(NE Students: Sophia Evers, Evan Mastenbrook, Max Romano) 

Project Sponsors: Rizki Oktavian, Anirudh Tunga (Blue Wave AI Labs)

      Team INL-HPMR: Design of Heat Pipe Cooled Microreactor Transportation Systems and Protocols
(NE Students: Anthony Cialdella, Kiefer Earl, Hanne Lucido, Brian Meyers, Alicja Stoppel) 

Project Sponsors: Ilyas Yilgor, Piyush Sabharwall (Idaho National Laboratory)

      Team ORNL: CubeSat RTG Heat Rejection System Using Additive Manufacturing
(NE Students: Jacob Hannon, Andrew Hart, Aaron Surburg) 

Project Sponsors: Nolan Goth, Daniel Orea, Molly Ross (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

      Team INL-HTGR: High-Temperature Gas Microreactor (HTGMR) Design
(NE Students: Niels Eysturlid, Preston Kilzer, Jonathan Koziarz, Sam Sherman)

 Project Sponsors: Victor Coppo Leite, Piyush Sabharwall (Idaho National Laboratory)

      Team RGA: PURE SMR Control System Design
(NE Students: Sam Kirschner, Ethan Mahaffey, Andrew St. Aubin, Ryan Zerpa) 

Project Sponsors: Robert Abboud (RGA Labs)

 

Congratulations to all teams for their exceptional work and dedication. Your innovation and collaborative spirit exemplify the mission of Purdue Nuclear Engineering to prepare the next generation of leaders in nuclear science and technology. The design class was led by Dr. Bindra, whose guidance helped shape the outstanding projects presented. While all teams did excellent jobs presenting the work, one team was selected to represent Purdue Nuclear Engineering in the National ANS Student Design Competition.

Based on the evaluation scores collected by NE Advisory Board members and faculty, Team-Blue Wave-AI Labs has won the Academic Achievement Award for Best Design Poster. The team was recognized during a special recognition event. Congratulations again to Team-Blue Wave-AI Lab!

Based on the evaluation scores collected by sponsors and faculty, Team-NRC has won the Technical Presentation who will be representing Purdue Nuclear Engineering in the National ANS Student Design Competition. Congratulations again to Team-NRC!