WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Nuclear expertise coupled with progressive structural and civil engineering applications were on display at the Purdue Applied Research Institute’s Infrastructure Innovation Lab (PIIL) during a Sept. 23 visit by officials from Orano USA, a nuclear technology company.
The Bethesda, Maryland-based company is considering a partnership with this division of the Purdue Applied Research Institute (PARI) to support the newly announced uranium enrichment facility megaproject. The effort to locate and construct the facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is named Project Ike, honoring President Dwight Eisenhower for his contributions to nuclear science.
The planned 750,000 square-foot facility will be one of the largest uranium enrichment plants in North America. The project will create more than 300 jobs, offering a substantial boost to the local and regional economies.
The Orano party toured PARI’s facilities at the Gerald D. and Edna E. Mann Hall with key PIIL executives, viewing and discussing capabilities that can assist Orano with highly specialized engineering, design and testing requirements necessary for Nuclear Regulatory Commission construction compliance.
PIIL Executive Director Amit Varma led the tour at Purdue’s Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering’s Robert L. and Terry L. Bowen Laboratory. This laboratory is the crucible for research, development and testing that leads to effective and efficient solutions for next-generation defense and civil infrastructure programs.
This fits the mission of Orano, said Lionel Antognelli, vice president of engineering and projects, who toured with Armand Laferrere, senior executive vice president, and secretary general and partnerships. “We are very impressed with the offerings here at Purdue and PARI and are excited to explore working together on some endeavors,” Antognelli said.
The group had the opportunity to preview a few projects underway, including: combined thermal and mechanical testing of containment vessel components, seismic testing of a multiple story structure to failure, and a preview of the ballistics and missile impact testing capabilities for evaluating the characteristics of various steel, concrete and composite assemblies.
Based at Purdue University in West Lafayette, PIIL brings together civil engineering and applied research with a focus on delivering effective, efficient solutions for next-generation defense and civil infrastructure programs.
With global headquarters in Paris, Orano is a leading technology and services provider for the commercial and federal nuclear industries. The company specializes in uranium mining, conversion and enrichment; used nuclear fuel management and recycling; decommissioning shutdown nuclear energy facilities; federal site cleanup and closure; and developing nuclear medicines to fight cancer.
Media contact: Evamarie Socha, ecsocha@purdue.edu