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CHAD L. POPE PHD PE

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BIO

Dr. Pope is a Professor and the Nuclear Engineering Program Director. Following a distinguished 24-year career at the Idaho National Laboratory, Dr. Pope joined Idaho State University in August 2013. Dr. Pope has extensive experience in the areas of nuclear safety, nuclear criticality safety, nuclear facility operations, and pyro-processing.


Dr. Pope is also jointly appointed to the Idaho National Laboratory. In this capacity, Dr. Pope provides nuclear safety assistance for the Materials and Fuels Complex as well as pursuing areas of academic research in the nuclear safety and nuclear engineering fields.


Dr. Pope teaches courses in reactor physics, nuclear criticality safety, reactor reliability and risk assessment, project design, and reactor laboratory (see course links on the left).


Dr. Pope is the Principal Investigator on a few funded research projects involving several graduate students and multiple undergraduate students.


Risk Analysis


Dr. Pope is working with INL and ISU to provide analysis for nuclear power plants for risks from flooding, equipment failure vulnerabilities, and other risks. Two topics of choice are doorway susceptibility to flood waters and feedwater system issues due to equipment failures.


Versatile Test Reactor


In collaboration with Oregon State University, HTTP, TerraPower, INL, and ISU, Dr. Pope and other researchers are exploring the the possibility of designing, building, and deploying a high performance research reactor. 

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RESEARCH

Dr. Pope has  participated in a number of research projects on various topics.  Below are a few of his current and previous research projects.

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CURRENT RESEARCH

Versatile Test Reactor
Risk Analysis

PREVIOUS RESEARCH

EBR II Physics Benchmark
Neutron Computed Tomography
SODA

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COURSES

Dr. Pope offers several nuclear engineering courses including, inter alia,  reactor physics, reactor laboratory, reactor reliability and risk assessment, nuclear criticality safety, and project design.

Traditional Library

NUCLEAR CRITICALITY SAFETY THEORY AND PRACTICE (NE 4499 / 5599)

This course has three main topics; study of historical nuclear criticality accidents, understanding of the regulatory basis associated with nuclear criticality safety, and development of the physics associated with nuclear criticality safety.

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NUCLEAR SYSTEMS LABORATORY (NE 4447)

The laboratory course is primarily conducted using the AGN-201 training reactor.

In the Classroom

PROJECT DESIGN (NE 4496A/B)

This is a two semester capstone course.  Students learn the details of project design by forming teams, selecting a problem and then applying the problem solving techniques they have acquired during their undergraduate studies.

Workspace

REACTOR PHYSICS (NE 4445 / 5545)

This course focuses on diffusion theory and nuclear reactor kinetics.  The students get to see the theory of how reactors are designed and apply the theory in class.

Adult Students

RELIABILITY AND RISK ASSESSMENT (NE 4478 / 5578)

 

This course teaches the students methods of evaluating process and equipment reliability.

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GRADUATE STUDENTS

PHD STUDENTS

Aaron Thompson, PhD, Optimization of Neutron and Gamma Ray Layered Shielding for Hot Cells Containing Used Nuclear Fuel (2018)

Edward Lum, PhD, Simulating the Katana Effect - Monte Carlo Neutron Transport Combined with Finite Element Analysis to Calculate Negative Reactivity Due to Duct-Bowing (2017)


Bilguun Byambadorj, PhD, Simulating Experimental Breeder Reactor II Approach-to-Critical (2017)


Tony Riley, PhD, Process Informed Safeguards Approach for a Pyro-processing Facility (2014)

MASTERS STUDENTS

Trevor Boaz, MS, Idaho State University AGN-201 Reactor Power Calibration Cadmium Ratio Improvement Using Monte Carlo Methods (2018)

Sam Giegel, MS, Neutron Beam Characterization at the Neutron Radiography Reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory (2018)

Cody Muchmore, MS, Categorization and Evaluation of Spray Patterns from Pipe Leaks, (2018)

Antonio Tahhan, MS, Performance Improvements to the Portal Evaluation Tank, Characterization Analysis of Nuclear Power Plant Component Flooding Tests (2018)

Soumadipta Jash, MS, Instrumentation for Measuring Velocity of Wave Produced by Wave Impact Simulation Device for the Idaho State University Component Flooding Evaluation Laboratory (2018)

Brittany Grayson, MS, Level 1 Probabilistic Risk Assessment of an Air Ingress Event at a Pyro-Processing Facility (2017)

Seth Robison, MS, Spent Fuel Gamma Ray Shielding Using Automated Importance Variance Reduction (2017)

Sneha Suresh, MS, Development of an Interior Component Flooding Fragility Model and Design of Component Evaluation Flooding Laboratory Safety Circuit (2017)


Andrew Maas, MS, Developments for the Stochastic Objective Decision Aide and Investigation into Respirable Fraction Parameter Distribution (2017)


Ryan Stewart, MS, Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analysis in the Homogenization of the EBR-II Core (2017)


Quinton Beaulieu, MS, Determination of the Sodium Temperature Coefficient of Reactivity (2016)


Emerald Ryan, MS, Construction of a Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamic Model for Flow Over an Ogee Spillway Comparison to Determine Viability in Modeling Flooding Scenarios (2016)


Mary Toston, MS, Parametric Study of Plume Dispersion for Stochastic Objective Decision Aide (2016)


Bishwo Bhandarai, MS, Full Scale Door Testing Under Flooding Conditions to Develop Testing Protocol (2016)


Kushal Bhattari, MS, SODA Application Design and Development (2016)


David Kamerman, MS, The Use of Flooding Fragility Curves in Nuclear Power Plant Risk Analysis (2016)


Jordan Sheppard, MS, EBR-II Fuel Depletion Analysis Utilizing SCALE 6.1 TRITON, T6-DEPL Sequence(2016)


Shawn Seegmiller, MS, Sensitivity Analysis of the Experimental Breeder Reactor II(2015)


Andrew Layne, MS, Approach-To-Critical with the Idaho State University Sub-Critical Assembly (2015)

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PUBLICATIONS

PUBLICATIONS

A. Wells, E. Ryan, B. Savage, A. Tahhan, S. Suresh, C. Muchmore, C. L. Smith, and C. L. Pope, “Non-watertight Door Performance Experiments and Analysis Under Flooding Scenarios,” Results in Engineering, 3(2019)
S. Giegel, C. L. Pope, A. Craft, “Determination of the Neutron Energy Spectrum of a Radial Neutron Beam at a TRIGA Reactor,” Nuclear Inst. and Methods in Physics Research, B, 454(2019)
C. L. Pope, C. B. Jensen, D. M. Gerstner, J. R. Perry, “Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) Facility Design and Experiment Capability, Nuclear Technology(2019).
Y. I. Chang, R. W. Benedict, M. D. Bucknor, J. Figueroa, J. E. Herceg, T. R. Johnson, E. R. Koehl, R. M. Lell, Y. S. Park, C. L. Pope, S. G. Wiedmeyer, M. A. Williamson, J. L. Willit, R. James, S. Meyers, B. Spaulding, J. Underdahl, M. Wolf, “Conceptual Design of a Pilot-Scale Pyroprocessing Facility, Nuclear Technology205(2019).
E. D. Ryan, B. M. Savage, C. L. Smith, C. L. Pope, “Comparison of Free Surface Flow Measurements and Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamic Simulation for Potential Nuclear Power Plant Flooding Simulation,” Annals of Nuclear Energy126(2019).
E. Lum, C. L. Pope, “Experimental Breeder Reactor II Reactor Physics Benchmark Evaluation,” Transactions of the American Nuclear Society119(2018).
E. Lum, C. L. Pope, “GODIVA-IV Reactivity Temperature Coefficient Calculation Using Finite Element and Monte Carlo Techniques,” Nuclear Engineering and Design331 (2018).
C. L. Pope, C. W. Solbrig, J. P. Andrus, “Fuel Conditioning Facility Inert Gas Filled Reprocessing Hot Cell Leak Rate Measurement,” Annals of Nuclear Energy111 (2018).
R. Stewart, C. L. Pope, E. Ryan, “Fast Spectrum Reactor Fuel Assembly Sensitivity Analysis,” Annals of Nuclear Energy110(2017).
A. Tahhan, C. Muchmore, L. Nichols, A. Wells, G. Roberts, E. Ryan, S. Suresh, B. Bhandari, C. L. Pope, “Development of Experimental and Computational Procedures for Nuclear Power Plant Components Under Flooding Conditions, Proceedings of the 2017 25thInternational Conference on Nuclear Engineering(2017).
E. D. Ryan, C. L. Pope, “Sensitivity Analysis of an Experimental Breeder Reactor II Fuel Assembly,” Transactions of the American Nuclear Society115(2016).
A. Maas, M. Toston, K. Bhattarai, C. L. Pope, J. P. Andrus, “Recent Progress on the Stochastic Objective Decision Aide (SODA) Application,” Transactions of the American Nuclear Society115(2016).
T. R. Riley, C. L. Pope, R. W. Benedict, “Safeguards Performance Model for Evaluation of Potential Safeguards Strategies Applied to Pyroprocessing Facilities,” Nuclear Engineering and Design301(2016).
E. S. Lum, C. L. Pope, “Matlab Enhanced Multi-Threaded Tomography Optimization Sequence (MEMTOS),” Annals of Nuclear Energy, 91(2016).
C. L. Pope, K. Bhattarai, J. P. Andrus, “Stochastic Calculation of Radioactive Material Release Dose Consequences,” Transactions of the American Nuclear Society112(2015).
A. Layne, C. L. Pope, “Approach-to-Critical with the Idaho State University Sub-Critical Assembly Using the Modified Source Method,” Transactions of the American Nuclear Society111(2014).
C. W. Solbrig, C. L. Pope, J. P. Andrus, “Thermal Analysis of ZPPR High Pu Content Stored Fuel,” International Journal of Nuclear EnergyArticle ID 402351 (2014).
C. W. Solbrig, C. L. Pope, J. P. Andrus, “Transient Response and Radiation Dose Estimates for Breaches to a Spent Fuel Processing Facility,” Nuclear Engineering and Design275(2014).
C. W. Solbrig, C. L. Pope, J. P. Andrus, “Stress and Diffusion in Stored Pu ZPPR Fuel from Alpha Generation,” International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer74(2014).
C. W. Solbrig, J. Andrus, C. L. Pope, “ZPPR Fuel Element Thermal Stress-Strain Analysis,” World Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology4(2014).
S. W. Morgan, J. C. King, C. L. Pope, “Beam Characterization at the Neutron Radiography Reactor,” Nuclear Engineering and Design265(2013).
C. L. Pope, M. J. Lineberry, "Comparison of Measured and Monte Carlo Results for Neutron Beam Transmission Through an Irradiated Nuclear Fuel Assembly," Nuclear Technology182(2013).
S. W. Morgan, J. C. King, C. L. Pope, "Simulation of Neutron Radiograph Images at the Neutron Radiography Reactor," Annals of Nuclear Energy57(2013).
C. W. Solbrig, C. L. Pope, "Cadmium Release from a Reprocessing Electrorefiner Falling Over," Nuclear Engineering and Design255(2013).
C. L. Pope, "Fuel Assembly Neutron Computed Tomography Using Monte Carlo Simulation,” Transactions of the American Nuclear Society107(2012).
S. W. Morgan, J. C. King, C. L. Pope, “Beamline Model Validation Through Flux Profile and Neutron Activation Measurements at the Neutron Radiography (NRAD) Reactor,” Transactions of the American Nuclear Society106(2012).
J. P. Andrus, C. L. Pope. "Derivation of Accident-Specific Material-at-Risk Equivalency Factors,"INL/CON-12-24336, Idaho National Laboratory (2012).
C. A. Van De Graaf, C. L. Pope, J. T. Taylor, "Hazard Categorization Reduction via Nature of the Process Argument,"INL/CON-12-24467, Idaho National Laboratory (2012).
C. L. Pope, W. W. Scates, J. T. Taylor, "Hot Cell Window Shielding Analysis Using MCNP," INL/CON-09-15334, Idaho National Laboratory (2009).
C. L. Pope, "Fast Reactor Spent Fuel Processing: Experience and Criticality Safety," INL/CON-07-12106 (2007).
C. L. Pope, E. W. Papaioannou, "Ten Years of Fast Reactor Spent Fuel Processing: Criticality Safety," Transactions of the American Nuclear Society95(2006).
R. M. Lell, J. A. Morman, C. L. Pope, "Range of Applicability Determination for Validation of LiCl-KCl Fissile Mixtures with Sparse Benchmark Data," Nuclear Criticality Safety Division Topical Meeting, American Nuclear Society (2005).
J. A. Morman, C. L. Pope, "ANSI/ANS-8.26: Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer Training and Qualification Program," Transactions of the American Nuclear Society91(2004).
R. M. Lell, C. L.Pope, "Criticality Safety at the ANL-W Fuel Conditioning Facility," Embedded Topical Meeting, American Nuclear Society (2001).
C. L. Pope, "Fuel Conditioning Facility Zone-to-Zone Transfer Administrative Controls," Transactions of the American Nuclear Society83(2000).
R. M. Lell, C. L. Pope, "Criticality Safety Requirements for Transporting EBR-II Fuel Bottles Stored at INTEC," Embedded Topical Meeting, American Nuclear Society (2000).

TECHNICAL REPORTS

Conceptual Design of a Pilot-Scale Pyroprocessing Facility, Y. I. Chang, R. W. Benedict, M. D. Bucknor, J. Figueroa, J. E. Herceg, T. R. Johnson, E. R. Koehl, R. M. Lell, Y. S. Park, C. L. Pope, S. G. Wiedmeyer, M. A. Williamson, J. L. Willit, R. James, S. Meyers, B. Spaulding, J. Underdahl, M. Wolf, ANL/NE-Landmark-CRADA-12 (2018).
Nuclear Power Plant Component Flooding Fragility Research, C. L. Pope, B. Savage, S. Jash, B. Johnson, C. Muchmore, L. Nichols, E. Ryan, S. Suresh, A. Tahhan, R. Tuladhar, A. Wells, C. L. Smith, INL/EXT-18-45247, Idaho National Laboratory, Research Report (2018).
Evaluation of Run 138B at Experimental Breeder Reactor II, A Prototype Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor, E. S. Lum, C. L. Pope, R. Stewart, B. Byambadorj, Q, Beaulieu, EBR2‑LMFR-RESR-001, International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Experiments (2018).
Nuclear Power Plant Mechanical Component Flooding Fragility Experiments FY-2017 Report, C. L. Pope., B. Savage, B. Johnson, C. Muchmore, L. Nichols, G. Roberts, E. Ryan, S. Suresh, A. Tahhan, R. Tuladhar, A. Wells, C. Smith, INL/EXT-17-43439, Idaho National Laboratory, Research Report (2017).
Nuclear Power Plant Mechanical Component Flooding Fragility Experiments Status, C. L. Pope, B. Savage, B. Johnson, C. Muchmore, L. Nichols, G. Roberts, E. Ryan, S. Suresh, A. Tahhan, R. Tuladhar, A. Wells, C. Smith, INL/EXT-17-42728, Idaho National Laboratory, Research Report (2017).
Flooding Fragility Experiments and Prediction,C. Smith, B. Bhandari, C. Muchmore, A. Tahhan, A. Wells, L. Nichols, C. L. Pope, INL/EXT-16-39963, Idaho National Laboratory, Research Report (2016).
Status of the Flooding Fragility Testing Development,C. L. Pope, B. Savage, A. Sorensen, B. Bhandari, D. A. Kamerman, A. Tahhan, C. Muchmore, G. Roberts, E. Ryan, S. Suresh, A. Wells, C. Smith, INL/EXT-16-39115, Idaho National Laboratory, Research Report (2016).
Progress on the Industry Application External Hazard Analyses Early Demonstration, C. L. Smith, S. Prescott, J. Coleman, E. Ryan, B. Bhandari, S. Sludern, C. L. Pope, R. Sampath, INL/EXT-15-36749, Idaho National Laboratory, Research Report (2015).
Industry Application External Hazard Analyses Problem Statement, R. H. Szilard, J. Coleman, C. L. Smith, S. Prescott, A. Kammerer, R. Youngblood, C. L. Pope, INL/EXT-15-36101, Idaho National Laboratory, Research Report (2015).
Prototype Consequence Modeling Tool Based Upon the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) Software, C. L. Pope, B. Byambadorj, C. Hill, E. Lum, B. Nield, J. Swanson, Idaho National Laboratory, Research Report (2014).

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