Michael Branco-Katcher

I am a second year graduate student at Oregon State University under Dr. Todd Palmer. I am currently funded by a DOE-NE, NEUP fellowship. My research will center on how best to design reactors and criticality experiments for specific purposes, looking to appropriately account for qualitative and quantitative factors in the design of these systems. My area of interest is in Gen IV reactors, and my work will cater to those platforms specifically. Previous experience has included criticality safety, sensitivity/uncertainty quantification in nuclear data with respect to k-eff, and system design of integral benchmarks experiments.

I have experience in both deterministic and Monte-Carlo neutron transport methods but tend to favor Monte-Carlo methods and have used tools from Serpent and MCNP, to open source equivalents like OpenMC. My experience in deterministic methods have all been within the MOOSE framework of tools.

I completed my undergraduate studies at Oregon State in June of 2021. During undergrad I was involved with deterministic simulations of Molten Salt Reactors, modeling of gamma-detectors, simulation of fuel in a Pebble Bed Reactor and a study regarding how Monte-Carlo methods may be used to predict transmutations in the structural material of a LWR reactor and how potential transmutations might influence material properties. Minored in Material Science.

Work Experience

Sensitivity and Uncertainty Quantification, Terrapower

Calculated the sensitivity in k-eff of multiple advanced reactors platforms to nuclear data uncertainty and calculated total nuclear data uncertainty in k-eff for the TerraPower reactor platforms. Calculations performed in MCNP for multiple data sets.
Calculated the sensitivities and uncertainties in k-eff for a suite of benchmarks potentially relevant to the TerraPower platforms. Calculations performed in MCNP for multiple data sets.
Performed an evaluation how related existing benchmarks with similar uncertainties were to the proposed TerraPower reactors, calculating a representativity factor between the platforms of interest and each benchmark.
Evaluated how representative systems could be used to reduce the uncertainty in advanced reactor systems ahead of deployment in each respective data set. Python used for post processing of information, calculations of factor, and calculation of data uncertainty reductions.

Criticality Safety, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Participated in the design of an integral experiment as part of the LLNL Thermal-Epithermal eXperimental (TEX) campaign, using HEU plates and moderators of various materials surrounded by a polyethylene reflector. Designed an experiment to cater to a customers specific material needs. Performed criticality calculations, selected optimized designs, showed sensitivity and uncertainty of the system with respect to both manufacturing tolerances and systematic uncertainty.
Carried out a study on correlation and covariance calculations in legacy criticality experiments to propose how covariance and correlation coefficients can potentially. Quantified the correlations of experiments with known relations that had yet to be explored. Culminated in a paper that was accepted for presentation and publication for the Nuclear Criticality Safety topical meeting at the ANS National conference in 2022.
Work performed through a combination of Python scripts and MCNP.

National Security Engineering, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Utilized SCALE 6.2.3. to calculate spent fuel isotopics from reactors in various configurations, at different decay times.
Performed an analysis on the operations of a reactor to evaluate non-proliferation instrumentation.