Dan Kotlyar

dan.kotlyar@me.gatech.edu

Assistant Professor

Georgia Institute of Technology

G. W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear and Rediological Engineering Program

Prior joining Georgia Tech, I was a research associate in the University of Cambridge (UK) and my research focused on the design of inherently safe light water reactors. In 2014, I was elected as a Research Fellow at Jesus College, where I contributed to undergraduate teaching and other educational activities. My academic interests include: design of innovative nuclear energy systems, investigation of alternative fuel cycles for current and future generation of reactors and development of advanced computational methods for reactor physics analysis.

I love spending time with my family. I also enjoy hiking, different sport activities, ballroom dancing, and one of my favorites is a barbecue on a sunny day.

Graduate students

Jim Wang (PhD candidate), jwang814@gatech.edu

Research interests:

Reactor Multi-Physics and Thermal Hydraulics
CFD solver development. i.e. OpenFOAM
Coupled Multi-physics simulation: CFD with Monte Carlo Code.

Matt Krecicki (PhD candidate), mkrecicki@gatech.edu

Originally from Winter Park, Florida Matt attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where he earned Bachelor Degrees in Nuclear Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. After which Matt joined the CoRE lab in 2018, earning a Master’s in 2019. Matt played NCAA DIII lacrosse at RPI and played on Georgia Tech’s club lacrosse team. He also enjoys kayaking, mentoring other aspiring NTP engineers, and experimenting with Italian style cooking.

Current research:

Matt’s current research focuses on developing coupled multi-physics steady state and transient computational methods for nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) reactors. This research is funded via a Georgia Tech partnership with BWX Technologies, and is a regular summer intern with BWXT which has resulted in co-authorship of two patents related NTP reactor design and several conference publications related to NTP design.

Research interests:

Computational methods for and design of nuclear thermal propulsion reactors
Optimization techniques for advanced reactor design

Naiki A. Kaffezakis (PhD Candidate), jkaffezakis3@gatech.edu

Being genderqueer, Naiki uses and is comfortable with they/them, she/her and he/him pronouns interchangeably. Hailing from Duluth, Ga, Naiki graduated from Georgia Tech with two Bachelor Degrees in Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Physics in 2018 and a Masters Degree in Nuclear and Radiological Engineering in 2019. Naiki was recruited into the first CORE group cohort while they were still an undergraduate to conduct fuel cycle design for high-conversion thorium reactors. Naiki pays her rent with a day job as a health physics technician with Georgia Tech’s Office of Radiological Safety, ensuring that no curious researchers licks GT’s radioactive materials. Since undergraduate, Naiki has been an organizer within the LGBTQIA community on campus, and he currently serves as the president of Grad Pride. In their highly limited free time, Naiki enjoys working in their potted vegetable garden and testing obscure board games with friends.

Current research:

Naiki’s current research focuses on designs of reactor systems that are directly coupled with advanced thermophotovoltaics (TPV). Recent improvements in TPV conversion efficiencies have reopened the possibiity of using these static heat engines to develop safer and cheaper reactors. This early design work has been spearheaded by Naiki and her undergraduate assistants and has courted partners in industry, national labs, and other univeristies. Naiki has contributed coupled neutronic-conduction modeling, fuel cycle analysis and economics driven optimization to this promising project.

Research interests:

The development of truly novel reactor technologies, especially in the area of SMRs
The use of economic analysis to drive early design work
The implementation of equivalent circuit models for the neutron diffusion equation

Vigneshwar Manickam (MSc Candidate), vigneshwar.manickam@gatech.edu

Vignesh is a Nuclear Engineering Master’s student at the Georgia Institute of Technology. After receiving his Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics from the United States Naval Academy in 2015, he served as a Submarine Officer onboard the USS Indiana and USS Illinois. His research at Annapolis was focused on understanding the structure of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) using gravitational microlensing techniques. Vignesh started his graduate studies during the summer of 2020 after he received orders to serve as an instructor in Atlanta based NROTC programs.

In his free time, Vignesh enjoys spending most of his time hiking, scuba-diving and perfecting his astrophotography skills with amateur custom-built telescopes.

Current research: Vignesh’s primary research interests lies in the transient modeling and startup procedure analysis of advanced nuclear propulsion engines for future humankind spaceflight.

Research interests:

Design of NTP systems for future humankind spaceflight.
Transient modeling and startup procedure analysis of advanced nuclear propulsion engines.

Undergraduate students

Bailey Painter // painter@gatech.edu // Use of Transfer Functions for neutronic-T/H coupled framework

Mack Poulson // mackpoulson@gatech.edu // Analysis of the nozzle conditions

Sam Heflin // sheflin3@gatech.edu // Analysis of detailed local power distributions in NTP fuel elements

Connor Koelsch, ckoelsch3@gatech.edu

Connor grew up in Westchester, New York, and graduated from Yorktown High School in 2018. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering while minoring in both Computer Science and Engineering and Business through the Denning Technology and Management Program. He enjoys playing on the Georgia Tech club lacrosse team as well as skiing, hiking, and camping.

Current research:

Connor’s research focuses on developing a python reduced order solver to calculate the stress fields within nuclear thermal propulsion reactors. He then validates the stress components and deformations via ANSYS.

Research interests:

Computational methods to validate and test mechanical performance of reactor designs.
Thermal stress analysis

Graduated from the group

Andrew Johnson // a.johnson@usnc-tech.com // https://usnc.com/space/

PhD dissertation (defended on December 23, 2020): “Efficient Coupled Transport-depletion Sequence Using Hybrid Monte Carlo-Reduced Order Schemes”
Current role: Nuclear Software Engineer
Potential research focuses: Primarily focused on developing methods (improved depletion coupling schemes) to model and simulate novel reactor concepts.

Stefano Terlizzi // stefano.terlizzi@inl.gov// website place holder (if applicable)

PhD dissertation (defended on December 31, 2020): “On-the-fly Generation of Spatial Transfer Functions for Efficient Neutronics-TH Coupled Calculations”
Current role: Deslonde de Boisblanc Distinguished Postdoctoral Research Appointee at Idaho National Laboratory
Potential research focuses: Neutron transport; multiphysics analysis; applied mathematics; microreactors modeling, simulation, and design.

Vedant Mehta// mehta@lanl.gov// website place holder (if applicable)

PhD dissertation (defended on December 12, 2020): “Investigating the Response of Yttrium Hydride Moderator
Due to Changes in Stoichiometry and Temperature”
Current role: Computational multiphysicist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Design and development of novel microreactors.
Potential research focuses: Theoretical and experimental framework development, reactor design and analysis.

Coral Kazaroff // coralkazaroff12@gatech.edu // website place holder (if applicable)

MS dissertation (defended on December 2, 2020): “Validation of Plant BUZZ Operational Data Using Serpent-DYN3D Sequence”
Current role: GRA/PhD Candidate in Georgia Institute of Technology
Potential research focuses: modeling, simulation, design for MSRs; nuclear deterrence

Gustavo Pereira // guspereira1992@gmail.com// linkedin.com/in/gustavo-pereira-5750ba12a

MS dissertation (defended on December 2018): “Applying a Nodal Diffusion-Micro Depletion Sequence for High-Fidelity Analysis of Sodium Cooled Fast Reactors”
Current role: Global Project Management Enterprise-level Solutions