The Safety and Engineering Analysis Group focuses on the development and application of new and innovative computational analysis methods for both nuclear and non-nuclear systems. We perform analyses across an incredible range, from very small-scale turbulent flow phenomena to individual structure, system, and component performance to whole-plant safety analysis and potential off-site consequences.

Our tools include Nek5000 and Nek-2P for highly-detailed computational fluid dynamics simulations of single- and two-phase flow, SAS4A/SASSYS for the safety analysis of sodium- and lead-cooled fast reactor systems, and SAM for thermal-hydraulic analysis of liquid metal and molten salt systems and components. These tools can be coupled with each other or with other simulation tools to expand our analysis capabilities to support complex systems and phenomena.

We support the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy in the development of advanced reactor modeling and simulation capabilities, we are leading International Benchmarks with the International Atomic Energy Agency for the analysis of fast reactor passive safety experiments, and we partner with leading domestic and international organizations in the development of advanced reactors as a source of safe, sustainable, and carbon-free energy.

Beyond nuclear, we also work to translate the rigor of risk and reliability assessments used in the nuclear sector to non-nuclear sectors, such as the off-shore oil and gas industry, to ensure that the safety of the public and the environment remains a top priority.