Making Nuclear Energy Safer and More Affordable
July 11, 2018 | MITEstimated reading time: 5 minutes
“In turn, that would have a positive impact for the profitability of your nuclear reactor, because that would enable you to provide more energy,” Zhao says. “Being able to provide more power without compromising safety and increasing costs makes nuclear energy more competitive.”
Impactful interactions
During his studies, Zhao took 22.312 (Engineering of Nuclear Reactors) and now considers it his favorite course at MIT. The course, taught by Jacopo Buongiorno, the TEPCO Professor and associate department head in nuclear science and engineering, covers the principles of nuclear reactor design, with a focus on the generation and removal of heat.
“Instead of showing slides, he put everything on the board, and made complicated subjects and concepts easily approachable,” Zhao says. Inspired by Buongiorno’s approach, Zhao aims to make his own research accessible for nonspecialists and easily applicable for the nuclear industry.
While 22.312 was required for Zhao’s field of study at MIT, he continued to take elective classes, even as recently as his fourth year. “For me, it’s not a burden,” Zhao says. “It’s more like, I learn things every day.”
Zhao credits his thesis advisor, Koroush Shirvan, assistant professor in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering and MIT education program lead for CASL, with providing him with the mentorship necessary to pursue ambitious, computationally intensive doctoral research and classwork.
He and Shirvan regularly discuss challenges in not only research, but also daily life. “What makes him so great as a mentor, is that he’s smart himself and really cares about his students. But to me, he is more than that: He’s like a big brother to me,” Zhao says.
“I feel like MIT is more than an Institute. It’s like a family,” Zhao says. “And I really want to contribute to making this world a better place, by either working in academia or in a research-oriented laboratory or company. No matter where I would be, my intrinsic motivation will stay the same.”
In the long-term, Zhao hopes to make an impact on the international nuclear community.
“I think that in a new nuclear world, people from different countries have to collaborate more,” Zhao says. “We need to work together as a team and make nuclear energy safer and more affordable.”
Page 2 of 2Suggested Items
KIC’s Miles Moreau to Present Profiling Basics and Best Practices at SMTA Wisconsin Chapter PCBA Profile Workshop
01/25/2024 | KICKIC, a renowned pioneer in thermal process and temperature measurement solutions for electronics manufacturing, announces that Miles Moreau, General Manager, will be a featured speaker at the SMTA Wisconsin Chapter In-Person PCBA Profile Workshop.
The Drive Toward UHDI and Substrates
09/20/2023 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamPanasonic’s Darren Hitchcock spoke with the I-Connect007 Editorial Team on the complexities of moving toward ultra HDI manufacturing. As we learn in this conversation, the number of shifting constraints relative to traditional PCB fabrication is quite large and can sometimes conflict with each other.
Standard Of Excellence: The Products of the Future
09/19/2023 | Anaya Vardya -- Column: Standard of ExcellenceIn my last column, I discussed cutting-edge innovations in printed circuit board technology, focusing on innovative trends in ultra HDI, embedded passives and components, green PCBs, and advanced substrate materials. This month, I’m following up with the products these new PCB technologies are destined for. Why do we need all these new technologies?
Experience ViTrox's State-of-the-Art Offerings at SMTA Guadalajara 2023 Presented by Sales Channel Partner—SMTo Engineering
09/18/2023 | ViTroxViTrox, which aims to be the world’s most trusted technology company, is excited to announce that our trusted Sales Channel Partner (SCP) in Mexico, SMTo Engineering, S.A. de C.V., will be participating in SMTA Guadalajara Expo & Tech Forum. They will be exhibiting in Booth #911 from the 25th to the 26th of October 2023, at the Expo Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico.
Intel Unveils Industry-Leading Glass Substrates to Meet Demand for More Powerful Compute
09/18/2023 | IntelIntel announced one of the industry’s first glass substrates for next-generation advanced packaging, planned for the latter part of this decade.