Engineering Spring 04V9

Volume 48, Number 1, Spring 2007 ENGINEERING VANDERBILT Cleaning the Past, Greening the Future A Vanderbilt-led multi-university team is tackling the nation’s nuclear waste issues. uclear power might be “green power,” but only if nuclear Nwaste can be managed properly. Vanderbilt is leading a multi-university consortium in a major effort to improve the nation’s efforts to deal with include faculty nuclear waste safely and effectively. The members from consortium, originally formed to advise Rutgers University, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) University of Pittsburgh, on site remediation, its work and its stakeholders on ways to manage New York University, Robert Wood requires engineers and scien- 4 the nation’s defense-related nuclear Johnson Medical School, tists to understand the com- wastes, consists of engineers and scien- Howard University, plete life cycle of nuclear tists who have participated in efforts in University of Arizona power generation, weapons the last decade to clean up nuclear- and Oregon State production, and environmental weapons production sites and to dis- University. The team kicked off its col- impacts from nuclear weapons tests. pose of nuclear wastes safely. laborative effort with a meeting at Now these nuclear waste experts Vanderbilt in December. Expertise for Successful Solutions hope to leverage their knowledge to “CRESP has proven its capability and The consortium draws on the help the U.S. find safe ways to effec- usefulness to the nation in investigating expertise of facul- 6 tively manage nuclear waste from civil- and recommending solutions to nuclear ty in disciplines ian nuclear power as well. They see this waste risk-management challenges,” says such as engineering effort as critical if the nation is to David S. Kosson, Vanderbilt professor law, ecology, public health, accept expanded nuclear power-gener- and chairman of civil and environmen- health physics, policy and orga- ating capacities. tal engineering and co-principal investi- nizational dynamics. “We cannot move into the future of gator of CRESP. Vanderbilt will lead the organi- 8 expanded nuclear power generation “Now CRESP is focusing on helping zation into a new phase of develop- without cleaning up the legacy wastes the DOE to meet its most pressing chal- ment designed to improve the clarity of of the past,” says co-principal investi- lenges in nuclear remediation for the the technical standards for nuclear waste gator Charles W. Powers, Vanderbilt nation,” he says. management, based on experience IN THIS ISSUE professor of environmental engineer- developed earlier by CRESP to help ing. “We must first solve nuclear waste A $150 Billion Problem guide both nuclear weapons sites reme- 2 Going Global management issues that have plagued Powers notes that, even without diation and safe management of wastes defense and civilian nuclear waste nuclear power generation expansion produced by nuclear power plants. 3 New Hope for Cancer management programs.” plans, much remains to be done to “The proposed Global Nuclear The multi-university Consortium for handle the nuclear waste that already Energy Partnership raises additional 4 Helicopter Safety Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder has been created. Cleanup of the U.S. nuclear management issues,” Kosson Participation (CRESP) is being funded nuclear complex has already cost more says. “The DOE plan to reduce waste 5 “Smart” Spacecraft by a DOE cooperative agreement initial- than $70 billion, with future costs pro- management problems and to promote ly of $6 million per year for the next five jected to exceed $150 billion. On the nonproliferation through this partner- 6 Imaging Center Opens years. The group will continue to work civilian side, spent nuclear fuel is cur- ship depends in large measure on with DOE and its stakeholders on how rently stored in 39 states at some 122 spent fuel reprocessing, which presents 7 Driving Ambition to clean up legacy wastes from the sites, awaiting final disposition. Plans a variety of new challenges for nuclear nuclear arms race and extend its efforts to use Yucca Mountain in Nevada as waste management. 8 Images of WWII to help establish a solid technical foun- the national nuclear waste repository “There is great overlap technically dation for safe management of nuclear have been sidetracked by a variety of between the remediation of former waste from a wide range of sources. technical and political challenges, and nuclear weapons residuals and the Vanderbilt’s partners in CRESP despite nearly $6 billion spent to effective and safe management of develop the facility, no firm date has peaceful nuclear power operations, so DANIEL DUBOIS been set for completion. CRESP’s expertise will be made avail- Kosson delineates several issues that able to help integrate solutions for Vanderbilt faculty and CRESP are help- nuclear waste management.” ing the DOE address: safe and reliable The selection of Vanderbilt to lead management techniques and processes the consortium is based on the breadth for handling of nuclear wastes; remedi- and depth of expertise at the university ation of nuclear weapons complex in nuclear remediation. “Frank Parker sites; development of final-disposition is one of the world leaders in nuclear site plans for nuclear waste (Yucca energy and remediation and served as Mountain); optimizing the nuclear fuel head of radioactive waste disposal cycles of the future; and education and research for the International Atomic communication of nuclear waste issues Energy Agency,” says Kosson. “Jim to the public. Clarke is on the U.S. Nuclear CRESP has built a strong founda- Regulatory Commission Advisory tion from which to help DOE tackle Committee on Nuclear Waste. Mark these issues. Since 1995 CRESP has Abkowitz is on the president-appoint- been researching ways to advance cost- ed Nuclear Waste Technical Review effective cleanup of the nation’s nuclear Board. The list goes on and on.” Professors Charles Powers, left, and David Kosson are co-principal investigators on a five- —Vivian F. Cooper year, multimillion-dollar initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to help the weapons-production waste sites and nation manage waste from civilian nuclear power sources. test facilities. Although CRESP focuses Biomedical Civil and Environmental Mechanical Chemical Electrical Engineering and Computer Science The Globalization of Engineering Forecasting the Spread of Cancer A multidisciplinary effort offers new hope for predicting the growth of malignant tumors. Sid Banwart, senior vice president for the Human Services Divi- outside the U.S., we’re in the middle of a cultural transfor- sion at Caterpillar Inc., spoke to senior engineering students at a mation as a major company that is trying to be truly global. he physician clicks on a small tumors, but we can do so little. Why is Microenvironment of a Tumor microenvironment,” says Quaranta. design seminar last fall. This article is an excerpt from his One of my colleagues was born of Italian parents in Belgium, Sid Banwart was educated in Belgium, worked for Caterpillar in Brazil, in black dot on his computer screen. that?” asks Quaranta. “I think the rea- The team’s model is an initial effort. It The current model predicts that in remarks. An engineer himself, Banwart started working for France and in Switzerland, and is now running a major oper- T The dot—which represents about son is that we need additional tools, and is sophisticated enough to begin cap- mild environmental conditions—imag- Caterpillar in 1968 and has held engineering, supervisory and ation within Caterpillar in the U.S. He speaks five languages a thousand cancer cells—begins to those are the tools of mathematics.” turing tumor behavior without being ine a lush rainforest, says Quaranta— management posts at Caterpillar facilities in Illinois, Indiana and is truly a global citizen—and he’s an engineer. That’s “grow,” morphing into a mass with fin- The scientific team responsible for so complicated that computing power many cell types coexist and the tumor and in Mexico. He was first named a vice president in 1997. what the future is like. ger-like projections that looks like an creating this new computational model and running time for simulations shape is round with smooth edges, char- We view diversity broadly: Yes, it’s gender and ethnicity, but invasive tumor. includes core members Cummings; become limiting. The current model acteristic of a noninvasive tumor. Under Globalization and ’d like to challenge you today with an idea that may be it’s also international experience and cross-functional experi- This is more than a frighteningly Quaranta; Alissa Weaver, assistant pro- simulates about four months of tumor harsh environmental conditions—imag- uncomfortable: You will be competing not just in the United ence. We believe that bright people—and engineers certainly ugly projection. In the future it could fessor of cancer biology at Vanderbilt; growth in about eight hours. ine a desert—the most aggressive cell communications IStates but around the globe, because engineers are available fall into that category—have a lot to offer. We look for leaders, mean the difference between successful and Alexander Anderson, associate In the model, when cells divide they types dominate and the tumor shape everywhere these days. Everywhere. Lots of them. people who can lead in any function, not just in engineering. treatment and the euphemisti- has fingering, invasive pro- are changing the I can tell you from living in Mexico that Mexico, for one, is So how can you prepare for the future? First, I encourage cally termed “negative out- jections. In particular, the landscape of how graduating more engineers per capita than the U.S. If you can you to seek opportunities to work with people from different come” for the cancer patient. investigators found that they put ingeniero on your business card in Mexico, that’s a big deal.

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