AMS to Serve on an ARPA-E Award with UTK to Develop Clean Energy Technology
Analysis and Measurement Services Corporation (AMS) announced today that it will serve as a subcontractor on a project that has been selected to receive $2.4 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).
The funding is part of the ARPA-E OPEN 2021 program, which prioritizes funding high-impact, high risk technologies that support novel approaches to clean energy challenges. The selected projects will advance technologies for a wide range of areas, including electric vehicles, offshore wind, storage and nuclear recycling.
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) will be leading this project entitled Microfluidic Alpha Spectrometer for Materials Accountancy and Control in Liquid-Fueled Molten Salt Reactors. The project aims to develop a high-temperature, chemically resistant diamond based microfluidic alpha spectrometer (DiMAS) that will enable accurate online and/or at-line measurement of alpha-emitting isotopes in liquid-fueled molten salt reactors (LF-MSRs). This technology is expected to improve material control and accountability for the fuel salt and reduce the cost of meeting regulatory requirements.
AMS will serve as a subcontractor on this award and will provide insight on instrumentation and control needs and quality assurance required for the DiMAS in a Gen-IV LF-MSR. AMS will also help design and develop the commercial data acquisition and electronic readout system for the spectrometer as well as produce the necessary procedures for periodic calibration and required replacement services.
AMS Senior Engineering Manager, Mr. Brent Shumaker, who will be the AMS lead for this project said, “Advanced reactors are a key component of safe and proliferation-resistant electrical power generation for the world, and we are excited to be a part of the team along with the University of Tennessee, Argonne National Laboratory, Terrestrial Energy USA, and Applied Diamond on this project. AMS has served the nuclear industry for over 40 years, and we look forward to applying our unique capabilities and experience in developing practical instrumentation and controls testing applications for liquid-fueled molten salt reactors.” AMS President Dr. Hash Hashemian added, “We are delighted to serve UTK in conducting this important and impactful research.”
In addition to Mr. Shumaker, Dr. Chad Kiger (Electromagnetic Compatibility Engineering Manager), Mr. Greg Morton (Chief Technology Officer), and Mr. Alexander Hashemian (Senior Research Engineer) will contribute to this project.
