Overview
The Nuclear Science and Energy Center, established in 2008, is a cornerstone of South Carolina’s SmartState Centers of Economic Excellence Program within the Energy and Alternative Fuels cluster. Created through strong partnerships with key industry leaders such as Duke Energy, Progress Energy, SCANA, and Westinghouse, the center serves as a hub for advancing nuclear technology and energy solutions.
Research Strengths
The center's mission is to advance nuclear power across a spectrum of critical areas, including technology innovation, economic feasibility, policy development, workforce training, and integrating nuclear energy into non-electric applications like clean fuel production and industrial decarbonization. Leveraging state-of-the-art computational tools, the center drives innovation in nuclear technology.
Unique facilities support cutting-edge research on advanced nuclear fuels and the storage and management of spent nuclear fuel. The center also prioritizes enhancing reactor design, construction, manufacturing, safety, and economics, with a particular emphasis on small modular reactors (SMRs) and transportable systems, including floating nuclear power plants.
Workforce development is a cornerstone of the center’s mission. Efforts include the creation of distance learning courses/modules, hands-on training with advanced computational tools, and collaborative programs with partner institutions to prepare the next generation of nuclear engineers and scientists.
Leadership and Team
The Nuclear Science and Energy Center is led by Dr. Travis W. Knight, Professor and Chair of Mechanical Engineering. A Fellow of the American Nuclear Society, Dr. Knight is widely recognized for his expertise in nuclear engineering education and research, particularly in advanced nuclear fuels and spent fuel management. Under his leadership, the center supports a dynamic research team of faculty and graduate and undergraduate students dedicated to addressing the challenges and opportunities of modern nuclear energy systems.
Highlighted Projects
Investigating the unique challenges of transportable and micro-reactors, with a focus on innovative approaches to reduce system weight while maintaining safety and performance.
Developing new computational tools and modules to support the design and analysis of innovative fuel systems for small modular reactors (SMRs) and space reactors, advancing the frontiers of nuclear fuel technology.
Creating a software module to implement the "Fourth-Order Predictive Modeling methodology for obtaining Best-Estimate Results with Reduced Predicted Uncertainties" (4th-BERRU-PM). This module is proposed for integration into the MOOSE framework, enabling the nuclear engineering community to achieve higher precision and reduced uncertainty in reactor simulations.