UNLV engineering project selected for DOE Genesis Mission

A project from the UNLV College of Engineering has been selected for the Genesis Mission, a national initiative aimed at doubling American scientific productivity. Led by mechanical engineering professor WooHyun Jung, the $750,000, nine-month project was chosen as part of the Department of Energy’s “Delivering Nuclear Energy that is Faster, Safer, Cheaper” challenge.

The project focuses on reducing the time and cost required to safely analyze nuclear power plant operations, which could accelerate the deployment of new technologies like small modular reactors (SMRs). Current safety analysis, including simulations for seismic events, fires, and tsunamis, is labor-intensive and often delays licensing and deployment schedules. This research is particularly relevant as rising electricity demand, driven in part by AI data centers, increases interest in modular nuclear designs.