Knoxville, Tennessee—Analysis and Measurement Services Corporation (AMS), the prominent nuclear engineering consulting firm headquartered in Knoxville, TN, was recently awarded three Phase I research and development (R&D) grants from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) totaling nearly $600,000. The awards were part of 256 grants totaling $53 million to 211 small businesses in 35 states and the District of Columbia, funded through DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. AMS won three out of the eight research grants awarded to R&D technology firms in Tennessee.U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette said: “A cornerstone of the American economy, small businesses play a major role in spurring innovation and creating jobs throughout the country. … Now more than ever, we want to lend support to our country’s small businesses to ensure they are thriving again soon.”
The awarded funds will be used to conduct the following Phase I projects:
- “Online Monitoring System to Support Autonomous Remote Microreactor Operations”
- “VERA Software Validation using In-Plant Data”
- “Online Cable Condition Monitoring and Aging Management of Nuclear Power Plant Cables and End Devices”
Upon successful completion of these Phase I projects over the next nine months, AMS will be eligible to apply for Phase II awards of up to $1.1 million for each project, or a total of nearly $3.5 million in Phase II R&D grants. The instrumentation and control system and cable condition monitoring technologies to be developed under these projects will improve the safety, minimize operation and maintenance costs, and reduce the potential for unplanned maintenance outages in current and next-generation nuclear power plants. “As a market leader in predictive maintenance technology for nuclear plants, AMS is honored to be the recipients of these important R&D grants from DOE,” said AMS Director of R&D Group, Alex Hashemian. “For more than 40 years, our company has banked its solid reputation on ensuring the safe and efficient operation of nuclear power plants throughout the world. We are grateful to the U.S. government for its great contributions to the sustainability of nuclear energy technologies.”
