Education

B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Cornell University, 1957
M.S., Mechanical Engineering),Cornell University, 1958
Sc.D., Nuclear Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1966

Research Interests

Thermal hydraulic aspects of nuclear systems performance under steady-state and accident conditions, advanced light water reactor (LWR) concepts, and safety features of operating LWRs of western design.

Current Research Interests

Student participation in all projects requires nuclear engineering course preparation.

Innovative Water Reactor Concepts

The goal of the efforts is to achieve long life core with a high degree of passive safety and greatly reduced capital cost by an epithermal PWR core design and to explore the use of solid hydride fuel in PWR and BWRs.  Means to achieve physical protection of these reactors is also of interest.

Flexible Conversion Ratio Fast Reactors

This work investigates feasible designs for a flexible conversion ratio reactor system for time-dependent management of both fissile inventories and higher actinides.  The product will be core designs of conversion ratio near zero to transmute legacy waste and near unity to operate in a sustainable closed cycle.  Liquid reactor coolant core candidates will be designed and cross-compared to select the most promising reactor plant design.  The coolants to be evaluated are sodium, lead and molten salt. Gas coolant core results will be taken from an already ongoing MIT NERI project and evaluated in comparison to the liquid coolant core results.

NMR Measurement of Two-Phase Flow

Professor David Cory has developed a technique to apply NMR to measure the key parameters of two-phase flows of interest for reactor applications. A thesis in this area would combine the application of NMR to the study of two-phase flow and yield a novel measurement technique to obtain needed data inaccessible with other techniques. This work is jointly supervised with Professor Cory.

Ice Condenser Containment

The ice loading in these containments has led to a series of costly maintenance and design basis issues because of its sublimation and blockage of flow paths. The concept of replacing this ice with thin solid structure to absorb energy appears promising and merits further exploration.

Thermal Analysis of Waste Fuel in Storage and Transportation

Horizontal rod bundles in storage and transportation must be kept under certain maximum temperatures. Prediction methods and experimental data for such arrays exist. New input for the benchmark industry code used for these analyses have developed but need to be adjusted and validated based on comparison with existing experimental data.

Honors and Awards

• Outstanding Professor Award, Nuclear Science and Engineering Department: 1975, 1976, 1980, and 1996
• American Nuclear Society Best Paper Award, Thermal-Hydraulic Division, 1987
• National Heat Transfer Conference Best Paper Award, 1987
• American Nuclear Society Technical Achievement Award, Thermal-Hydraulic Division, 1994
• MIT School of Engineering Ruth & Joel Spira Award for Distinguished Teaching, 1995
• American Nuclear Society Arthur Holly Compton Award, 1995
• ICONE 8 Conference, A Thermal Hydraulic Track Best Paper Award, 1999
• Inaugural Lecture, Distinguished Lecture Series of the Department of Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, 2001
• Inaugural Lecture, O’Hanian Engineering Lecture Series, University of Florida, 2002
• Henry DeWolf Smyth Nuclear Statesman Award, 2005

Other Professional Activities

• Fellow, American Nuclear Society, 1981
• Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1983
• Member, National Academy of Engineering, 1988
• Chair, Korea Electric Power Corp. Professor of Nuclear Engineering, 1992-2006

Selected Recent Publications

Books

1. M. Gavrilas, P. Hejzlar, Y. Shatilla, and N. E. Todreas, "Safety Features of Operating Light Water Reactors of Western Design," CRC Press, 1995.
2. N. E. Todreas and M. S. Kazimi, "Nuclear Systems: Vol. I, Thermal Hydraulic Fundamentals," Hemisphere, NY 1990, 3rd printing, Taylor & Francis, 2001; and Nuclear Systems: Vol. II, Elements of Thermal Hydraulic Design, Hemisphere, NY, 1990.

Papers/Presentations

1. Greenspan, E., F. Ganda, D. Olander, Z, Shayer, N. Todreas et al., “Optimization of UO₂ Fueled PWR Core Design”, Presented at ICAPP 2005, paper 5569, 2005, Seoul, Korea, May 2005.
2. Carelli, M.D., B. Petrovic, L.E. Conway, N.E. Todreas et al, “IRIS (International Reactor Innovative and Secure), Presented at ICAPP 2005, Paper 5095, Seoul, Korea, May 15-19, 2005.
3. Romano, A., T. Boscher, P. Hejzlar, M. Kazimi and N.E. Todreas, et al. “Implications of Alternative Strategies for Actinide Management in Nuclear Reactors” Accepted for Publication in Nuclear Science and Engineering, April 2005.
4. Todreas, N.E., P.E. MacDonald, P. Hejzlar, J. Buongiorno, and E.P. Loewen. “Medium Power Lead Alloy Reactors – Missions for this Reactor Technology,” Published in Nuclear Technology, Special Issue, Vol. 147, Number 3, Pg. 305 - 320, September 2004.  Todreas, N.E., “Nuclear Fuel Cycle in the 21^st Century,” Presented at NUTHOS6, PL-02, Nara, Japan, October 2004.
5. Malen, J., N.E. Todreas, and A. Romano, “Thermal Hydraulic Design of Hydride Fueled PWR Cores,” Presented at NUTHOS6, N6P216, Nara, Japan, October 2004.
6. Hejzlar, P., J. Buongiorno, P. MacDonald, and N.E. Todreas “Strategy for Actinide Burning in Medium Power Lead-Alloy Cooled Concepts,” Published in Nuclear Technology, Special Issue, Vol. 147, Number 3, Pg. 321 - 343, September 2004.
7. Romano, A., P. Hejzlar, and N.E. Todreas, “Fertile-Free Fast Lead-Cooled Incinerators for Efficient Actinide Burning”, Published in Nuclear Technology, Special Issue, Vol. 147, Number 3, Pg. 368 -387, September 2004.
8. Dostal, V., P. Hejzlar, N.E. Todreas, and J. Buongiorno, “Medium Power Lead Alloy Fast Reactor Balance of Plant Options,” Published in Nuclear Technology, Special Issue, Vol. 147, Number 3, Pg. 388 - 405, September 2004.
9. Saccheri, J., N.E. Todreas, and M.J. Driscoll, “A Tight Lattice Epithermal Core Design for Integral PWR” Presented at ICAPP 2004, Paper 4358, pp. 46-67, Pittsburgh, PA, June 13-17, 2004.
10. Carelli, M.D., L.E. Conway, N.E. Todreas et al, “Design and Safety Features of the IRIS Reactor,” Nucl. Eng. Des. 230, 2004.
11. Greenspan, E.,  H. Garkisch, J. Malen, M. Moalem, D. Olander, B. Petrovic, Z. Shayer, and N.E. Todreas, “Preliminary Assessments of Possibilities for Improving the Performance of LWRs Using Hydride Fuel, “ Transactions ANS, 89, 381-382, November 2003
12. Romano, A., P. Hejzlar, N.E. Todreas, “Safe and Economic Fertile-Free, Lead-Cooled Minor Actinide Burner"” Presented at Proceedings of GLOBAL2003 Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana, November 16-20, 2003.
13. Romano, A., P. Hejzlar, N.E. Todreas, “Fast Lead-Cooled Incinerator for Economical Actinide Burning”, Presented at GENES4/ANP2003, Paper #1203, Sept 15-19, 2003, Kyoto, Japan.
14. Hejzlar, P., N.E. Todreas, M. S. Kazimi, “Actinide Burning in a Lead-Bismuth-Cooled Critical Fast Reactor with Economic Electricity Generation,” 7^th Information Exchange Meeting on Actinide and Fission Product Partitioning and Transmutation, Jeju, South Korea, October 14-16, 2002.
15. Galvin, M., N.E. Todreas, and L.E. Conway, "Maintenance Cycle Extension in the IRIS Advanced Light Water Reactor Plant Design" MS #01075, Nuclear Technology, Vol. 143, Pg. 270 – 280,  July 2002.
16. Buongiorno, J., M.S. Kazimi, and N.E. Todreas, "An Oxygen Control Strategy for Corrosion Minimization in Lead-Bismuth/Water Direct-Contact  Systems ," Presented at ICAPP, Track 1107, Hollywood, FL, June 2002.
17. Hejzlar, P., M.J. Driscoll, and N.E. Todreas, "The Long-Life Modular Gas Turbine Fast Reactor Concept," Presented at ICAPP, Track 1092, Hollywood, FL, June 2002.
18. Driscoll, M.J., P. Hejzlar, and N.E. Todreas, "Fuel-In-Thimble GCFR Concepts for GEN-IV Service", Presented at ICAPP, Track 1135, Hollywood, FL, June 2002.
19. Okano, Y., P. Hejzlar, N. E. Todreas, and M.J. Driscoll, "Thermal-hydraulics and Post-shutdown Cooling of a CO₂-Cooled, Gas Turbine Fast Reactor", Presented at ANS Annual Meeting, Vol. 86, Pg 139 – 142,  June 2002
20. Buongiorno, J., M.S. Kazimi, and N.E. Todreas, "An Oxygen Control Strategy for Corrosion Minimization in Lead-Bismuth/Water Direct-Contact Systems," Presented at ICAPP, Track 1107, Hollywood, FL, June 2002.
21. J. Buongiorno, M. S. Kazimi, and N. E. Todreas, "Heavy-Metal Aerosol Transport in a Lead-Bismuth Cooled Fast Reactor with In-Vessel Direct-Contact Steam Generation," MS #01029, approved for publication by Nuclear Technology, April 2002.
22. P. Hejzlar,  P. MacDonald, J. Buongiorno, M.J. Driscoll, N.E. Todreas, "Design Strategies for Lead-Bismuth-Cooled Reactor for Actinide Burning and Low Cost Electricity", ICONE-22377, ICONE 10, Arlington, VA, April 2002.
23. C. Davis, D. Kim, N.E. Todreas, M.S. Kazimi “ Core Power Limits for a Lead-Bismuth Natural Circulation Actinide Burner Reactor” Nuclear Engineering and Design, Vol 213, Pg. 165–182,  January 2002.
24. N.E. Todreas "Government's Role in the Future of Nuclear Energy", Westinghouse World View, page 3, December 2001.
25. J. Ahearne, R. Bennett, R. Budnitz, D. Kammen, J. Taylor, N. Todreas, and B. Wolfe, "Nuclear energy: Present Technology, Safety, and Future Research Directions; A Status Report" Published electronically by the American Physical Society, POPA report, November 2001.
26. P. Hejzlar, N. E. Todreas, M. S. Kazimi, and M. J. Driscoll, "Challenges of Minor Actinide Burning in Critical Lead-Bismuth Cooled Reactors," Track #2, Article 2, pg. 41-42, ANS Winter Meeting, Reno, NV, November 2001.
27. V. Dostal, P. Hejzlar, M. J. Driscoll, and N. E. Todreas, "A Supercritical CO₂ Brayton Cycle for Advanced Reactor Applications," Track #2, Article 5, pg. 110-111, ANS Winter Meeting, Reno, NV, November 2001.
28. Marques, Andre L.F., M.J. Driscoll and N.E. Todreas, "Experimental Study of Natural Convection Heat Transfer in a Horizontal Annulus for Nuclear Reactors”, Presented at COBEM 2001, #TRB0101, pp. 67-75, Uberlândia, Brazil, November 2001.
29. M. D. Carelli, L. Conway, M. Galvin, C. V. Lombardi, N. E. Todreas, et. al. "IRIS Reactor Conceptual Design", Paper #104, Global 2001, Paris, France, September 2001.
30. N. E. Todreas, "New Generation of Nuclear Plants: A Point of View from the USA," International Conference "E. Fermi and Nuclear Energy", Pisa, Italy, Oct. 15-16, 2001.
31. Romano, A., and N.E. Todreas, "A Methodology for Selecting High Performance Fuel Configurations for Tightly Packed Epithermal Core Designs" MS # 01071, Vol. 139, Number 1, Nuclear Technology, July 2001
32. P. Hejzlar, M. J. Driscoll, and N. E. Todreas, "A Modular, Gas-Turbine Fast Cooled Reactor Concept (MFGR-GT)," Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc. Vol. 84, pg. 242-243, Milwaukee, WI, June 2001.
33. M. D. Carelli, L. E. Conway, G. L. Fiorini, C. V. Lombardi, N. E. Todreas, et. al., "Safety by Design: A New Approach to Accident Management in the IRIS Reactor," IAEA International Seminar on Status and Prospects for Small and Medium sized Reactors, Cairo, Egypt, May 2001.
34. M. D. Carelli, , B. Petrovic, N.E. Todreas, M. Galvin, et. al., "IRIS: An Integrated International Approach To Design And Deploy A New Generation Reactor," IAEA International Seminar on Status and Prospects for Small and Medium sized Reactors, Cairo, Egypt, May 2001.
35. M. D. Carelli, D. V. Paramonov, K. Miller, C. V. Lombardi, N. E. Todreas et. al., "The IRIS Reactor Development," Track 8 - #840, The Proceedings of ICONE 9, April 8-12, Nice, France, 2001.
36. P. Hejzlar, M. J. Driscoll, M. S. Kazimi, and N. E. Todreas, "Minor Actinide Burning in Dedicated Lead-Bismuth Cooled Fast Reactors," Track 8 - #336, The Proceedings of ICONE 9, April 8-12, Nice, France, 2001.
37. J. Buongiorno, N. E.Todreas, and M. S. Kazimi, " Thermal Design of a Lead-Bismuth Cooled Fast Reactor with In-Vessel Direct-Contact Steam Generation," Track 6 - #772, The Proceedings of ICONE 9, April 8-12, Nice, France, 2001.
38. Romano, V. Kriventsev, H. Ninokata, and N. E. Todreas, "Novel Fuel Shapes Configuration for the IRIS Reactor," Track 7 - #93, The Proceedings of ICONE 9, Nice, France, April 2001.
39. Levy, S., R. Bennett, W. Magwood, and N. Todreas, “Technology Goals for Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems” Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc., Vol. 85, pp. 58-62, 2001
40. L. Doboe, M. Golay, N.E. Todreas, and F. Li, "A Method for Systematic Resource Allocation for Improved Nuclear Power Plant Performance," PSAM V, Tokyo, Japan, December 2000.
41. A. Marques, M. J. Driscoll, and N. E. Todreas, " An Emergency Water Injection System (EWIS) for Future CANDU Reactors, " ENFIR XII National Meeting on Reactor Physics, October 16-19, 2000.