Richard Howard Research Areas:
Biography:
Richard Howard is a recognized expert in nuclear experimentation and design. His research has made critical contributions to a wide range of technical areas including radioisotope production, qualification of nuclear fuels and materials, and nuclear thermal propulsion. Dr. Howard has extensive experience in the creation of novel experiment designs; planning & leadership roles for various medium and large-scale research programs; and the development of strategy for both laboratory and programmatic interests. These accomplishments demonstrate expert knowledge in a wide range of technical areas, excellent networking and communication skills, and strong leadership skills. Notable successes include: - The development of the current Pu-238 production cermet target used at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL); this achievement enabled ORNL to scale up target production from tens of targets to hundreds of targets per year
- Establishing the safety basis and hot cell welding capabilities for ORNL Ac-227 production capsules
- Leading the design and production effort to support the resumption of domestic Co-60 isotope, which included establishing a strong multi-laboratory collaboration to achieve this goal
- Development and leadership of the effort to perform novel experiments to establish the weld acceptance criteria required for the 2019 High Flux Isotope Reactor restart and supporting the ongoing justification for continued operation
- Supporting a multi-organizational effort to enable Accident Tolerant Fuels cladding (both FeCrAl and Molybdenum) research with a consortium of institutions including the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Leading the effort to develop a novel experiment format for radiating and qualifying nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) fuel/instrumentation components
Dr. Howard has also been instrumental in providing technical expertise to expand several technical resources including laboratory research and documentation protocols at ORNL, maintaining the strong safety culture, and engaging with a wide range of laboratory stakeholders to achieve a state-of-the-art research and development environment. He also strives to provide excellent technical mentorship to junior staff and students under his tutelage, including graduate students and interns.
Education: University of Tennessee, Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering
North Carolina State University, Master of Nuclear Engineering Auburn University, Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering
Affiliations: American Nuclear Society, ASME, University of Tennessee, Knoxville – Department of Nuclear Engineering (adjunct professor)
Publications: Steiner, T. R., Hutchins, E. M., Howard, R. H., Steady State In-Pile Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Experimental Testbed Initial Demonstration at the Ohio State University Research Reactor Nuclear Technology, Nuclear Technology, Accepted Jan, 2021. Howard, R. H., Reichenberger, M.A., Urban-Klaehn J.M., Peterson-Droogh J.L., Brookman J.V.¸ Gross, B., Tyler, C., Navarro J., Lillo M., Zillmer, A., Overcoming challenges to support us resumption of high specific activity cobalt-60, Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Volume 169, March 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2020.109494 Petrie, C. M., Sweeney, D. C., Howard, R. H., Schrell, A. M., Felde, D. K., McDuffee, J. L., Single-Phase, Natural Circulation Annular Flow Measurements for Cartridge Loop Irradiation Experiments, Nuclear Engineering and Design, Volume 370, 15 December 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2020.110900 Benensky, K., Howard, R. H., Steiner, T., Assessment of Near-Term Fuel Screening and Qualification Needs for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Systems, Nuclear Engineering and Design, October, 2020, Volume 367, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2020.110765 Howard, R. H., Ruggles, A. E., Design and Out-of-pile Testing of a Novel Irradiation Experiment Vehicle to Support Qualification of Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Components, Nuclear Engineering and Design, 361, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2020.110516. Zhang, D., Briggs, S. A., Edmondson, P. D., Gussev, M. N., Howard, R. H., Field, K. G., Influence of welding and neutron irradiation on dislocation loop formation and α′ precipitation in a FeCrAl alloy, Journal of Nuclear Materials, Volume 527, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2019.151784 Howard, R. H., Gallagher, R. C, Field, K.G., Mechanical performance of neutron-irradiated dissimilar transition joints of aluminum alloy 6061-T6 and 304L stainless steel., Journal of Nuclear Materials, 508, 348-353, 2018. Field, K. G., Briggs, S. A., Sridharan, K., Yamamoto, Y., Howard, R. H., Dislocation loop formation in model FeCrAl alloys after neutron irradiation below 1 dpa., Journal of Nuclear Materials, 495, 20-26, 2017. Gussev M. N., Howard, R. H., Terrani K. A., Field, K. G., Sub-size tensile specimen design for in-reactor irradiation and post-irradiation testing, Nuclear Engineering and Design., 320, 298-308, 2017. Field, K. G., Briggs, S. A., Sridharan K., Howard, R. H., Yamamoto, Y., Mechanical properties of neutron-irradiated model and commercial FeCrAl alloys., Journal of Nuclear Materials, 489,118-128, 2017. Briggs, S. A., Edmondson, P. D, Littrell K. C., Yamamoto, Y., Howard, R. H., et al., A combined APT and SANS investigation of α′ phase precipitation in neutron-irradiated model FeCrAl alloys., Acta Materialia, 129, 217-228, 2017Edmondson, P. D., Briggs, S. A., Yamamoto, Y., Howard, R. H., Sridharan, K., Terrani, K. A., & Field, K. G., Irradiation-enhanced α′ precipitation in model FeCrAl alloys., Scripta Materialia, 116, 112-116, 2016. Reichenberger, M. A., Urhan-Klaehn, J. M., Brookman J. V., Peterson-Droogh, J. L., Navarro, J., Howard, R. H., In-Canal Assay of High Specific Activity Cobalt-60 at the Advanced Test Reactor, Nuclear Technology, Submitted Aug, 2020.
Presentations: Sweeney, D. C., Petrie, C. M, Howard, R. H., Felde, D. K., McDuffee, J. L., Transient Testing of Natural Circulation Flow in Cartridge Experiments, ANS Winter Meeting and Nuclear Technology Expo, Chicago, IL USA, Nov. 15-19, 2020. Le Coq, A. G., Linton, K.D., Champlin, P., Howard, R. H., Hu, X., Byun, T. S., Terrani, K. A. HFIR Irradiation Testing Supporting the Transformational Challenge Reactor, 2020 ANS Annual Meeting, Virtual, June 8-11, 2020. Howard, R. H., Design of the In-pile experiment Set (INSET) apparatus to support Nuclear Thermal Propulsion fuel and component testing, Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS) 2020, Knoxville, TN, USA, April 6-9, 2020. McDuffee, J. L., Felde, D. K., Weaver, K., Farmer, M., Subharwall, P., Howard, R. H., Mulligan, P. L., Flow Test Plan to Support the Development of Cartridge Loops in the Versatile Test Reactor, ANS Winter Meeting and Nuclear Technology Expo, Washington, D.C. USA, Nov. 17-21, 2019. Gallagher, R. C., Howard, R. H., Bickel, G. A., Design and Encapsulation of Irradiation Experiments for Previously Irradiated Materials, 2019 ANS Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, USA, June 9-13, 2019. Howard, R. H., Overview of the Plutonium-238 Supply Program's CERMET Production Targets, Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS) 2019, Richland, WA, USA, February 25-28, 2019. Petrie, C. M., Koyanagi, T., Howard, R. H., Field, K. G., Burns, J. R., Terrani, K. A., Accelerated Irradiation Testing of Miniature Nuclear Fuel and Cladding Specimens, Top Fuel 2018, Prague, Czech Republic, September 30 - October 4, 2018. Howard, R. H., Gallagher, R. C., Buyers, A., Design and Development of CANDU Ex-Service Garter Spring Irradiation Experiments in the HFIR, 2018 ANS Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, USA, June 17-22, 2018. Navarro, J., Peterson-Droogh, J. L., Brian Gross, B. J., Howard, R. H., Cowherd, W., Dwight, C., Data-Driven Methodology for Predicting Isotope Production at Material Testing Reactors, 2018 ANS Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, USA, June 17-22, 2018. Peterson-Droogh, J. L., Howard, R. H., Current Neutronic Calculation Techniques for Modeling the Production of Ir-192 in HFIR, PHYSOR 2018 - Cancun, Mexico – April 22-26, 2018. Howard, R. H., Development of High Temperature Out-of-Pile Experiments for Testing Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Fuel Surrogates, Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS) 2018, Las Vegas, NV, USA, February 26-March 1, 2018. Howard, R. H., Overview of the Plutonium-238 Supply Program's CERMET Production Target, Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS) 2018, Las Vegas, NV, USA, February 26-March 1, 2018 Howard, R. H., The Evolution of HFIR Cermet Pu-238 Production Targets. Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS) 2018, Las Vegas, NV, USA, February 26-March 1, 2018 Field, K. G., Terrani, K. A., Howard, R. H., Petrie, C. M., Irradiation Testing of Accident Tolerant Fuel FeCrAl Cladding, 2017 Water Reactor Fuel Performance Meeting, Jeju Island, South Korea, September 10-14, 2017. Petrie, C. M., McDuffee, J. L., Cetiner, N. O., Howard, R. H., Mulligan, P. L., Nuclear Science User Facility Irradiation Capabilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 2017 ANS Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, USA, June 11-15, 2017. Rapp, J., Biewer, T. M., Bigelow, T., Caughman, J. B. O., Duckworth, R., Giuliano, D., Goulding, R.H., Hillis, D.L., Howard, R. H., et al., The Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment MPEX: Pre-design, development and testing of source concept, 26th Symposium on Fusion Engineering, May 1-8, 2015. Howard, R. H., Schnitzler, B., Sprenger, M., Soderquist, L., Irradiation Capsule Design to Support DOE Resumption of US Co-60 Isotope Production, Proc. 2014 International Group of Research Reactors (IGORR 2014), Bariloche, AR., November 17-21, 2014. Ott, L. J., Howard, R. H., Howard, R. L., McDuffee, J. L., and Yan, Y., Preparation of Prototypic Irradiated Hydrided-Zircaloy Cladding for UFDC Programs, Proc. LWR Fuel Performance Meeting/Top Fuel 2013, Charlotte, North Carolina., September 15-19, 2013. Howard, R. H., McDuffee, J. L., and Katoh, Y., Graphite Compressive Creep Capsule Design for Irradiation in the HFIR, Proc. 2013 American Nuclear Society Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Ga., June 16-20,2013. Howard, R. H., Yan, Y., Howard, R. L., McDuffee, J. L., and Ott, L. J., Production of Simulated High- Burnup Used Fuel Cladding in the HFIR, Proc. 2013 International High-Level Radioactive Waste Management (2013 IHLWRM), Albuquerque, N. Mex., April 28-May 2, 2013. Howard, R. H., McDuffee, J. L., Fechter M. A., and Katoh, Y., Development of HFIR Target Experiment for Graphite Irradiation Creep, Proc. 12th International Graphite Specialist Meeting (INGSM-13), Meitingen, Germany, September 23-26, 2012.
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