LSU Petroleum Engineering Professor, Research Team Aim To Prevent Nuclear Power Leaks
April 12, 2023
Nuclear energy provides more than 20% of the electricity in the United States but
is considered to be a controversial source of power due to past leakages. Could those
have been avoided by having a sensor that immediately detected a leak? That is what
LSU researchers are working on thanks to a grant from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
the first NRC research grant LSU has received.
“Nuclear power plants require constant monitoring to ensure operational efficiency and safety,” said Jyotsna Sharma, LSU Petroleum Engineering Assistant Professor. “This includes the monitoring of plant structures and components for abnormal stresses and leaks due to aging and degradation, safe storage of nuclear waste, and reliable long-term radiation monitoring. A DFOS can overcome many limitations of traditional gauges since they are immune to electromagnetic interference, chemically inert, resistant to corrosion, and can withstand high temperatures, high pressures, and neutron and gamma radiations.”
The work by the LSU Engineering research team is part of LSU's Scholarship First agenda and its focus on developing cutting-edge technologies for the energy sector.