November 10, 2022

Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) offers high thrust and specific impulse engine capabilities for future manned missions to Mars and beyond. This technology is expected to enable reduced interplanetary travel times and thereby increase the safety of the crew and reduce the cost of the mission.

Dan Kotlyar, assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and his research group have been awarded a grant from Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to collaborate on implementing a computational transient system capability via INL’s MOOSE framework to analyze components of an NTP system including the reactor core during startups and shutdowns.

Kotlyar is an assistant professor in the Nuclear and Radiological Engineering program. His Computational Reactor Engineering Laboratory (CoRE) focuses on developing the next generation production tools as well as designing advanced and low-cost nuclear energy systems.

INL's mission is to discover, demonstrate and secure innovative nuclear energy solutions, other clean energy options and critical infrastructure.