Dr. Ben Kosbab (Principal Engineer at SC Solutions) presented the benefits of using seismic isolation to simplify and standardize nuclear power plant designs at a plenary session of the 2018 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP). The theme of the plenary session was on leveraging innovations in construction technologies to reduce new nuclear power plant cost and schedule. Dr. Kosbab’s presentation emphasized how drastic reductions in seismic loading achieved by adoption of mature seismic isolation technology early in the design process can enable standardization (and thus optimization) of plant design and construction by minimizing the “seismic penalty” from site-specific design and qualification of structures, systems, and components. The work presented represents a joint effort with our collaborators and colleagues at the University of Buffalo, Idaho National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The ICAPP conference was hosted by the American Nuclear Society (ANS) in Charlotte, NC, USA, and unites the business and technical interests of participants with the objective of providing a forum for nuclear industry leaders to exchange information, present results from their work, review the state of the industry, and discuss future directions and needs for the deployment of new nuclear power plant systems. The conference brought together 300+ specialists from around the world to share scientific/technical advances, recent research findings, and innovative technologies. More information about ICAPP 2018 is available here.