Nuclear, Water & Power Plant – Chemistry, Corrosion & Engineering Industries: Expert

Expertise

Summary 

• Nuclear power plants (PWR primary and secondary chemistry and BWR chemistry) consulting and servicing in the areas: Fossil power plants including conventional boilers, heat recovery steam generators (HRSG); solar power plants; Department of Energy (DOE) facilities; and a wide variety of industrial and manufacturing sites.
• Experience includes field service, Advice and Consultation (A&C), outage support, project management, contract transition teams, due diligence facility assessments, training, laboratory methods development, expert witness, pilot plant testing, and basic and applied research.
• Advisor and the OEM on primary and secondary system chemistry control during Hot Functional Testing (HFT) of a new nuclear power plant in China.
• Led and played key role for the initial implementation, and later optimization of (a) alternate amines for pH, oxygen and ECP control and (b) dispersants and chemical cleaning for deposit control in PWR secondary systems.
• Execute with 43 years of experience in chemistry and corrosion engineering specializing in power plant and industrial water chemistry.
• Effective problem solver in diverse roles including field service, production, basic and applied research, mathematical modeling, laboratory and pilot plant testing, expert witness testimony, technical and due diligence assessments, design reviews, project management and contract transition.

Chemistry

• Analytical Chemistry
• New laboratory Design and Startup
• Laboratory Equipment Design
• Laboratory Methods Development

Inorganic and Physical Chemistry

• Water Treatment
• Water Purification Including Ion
• Exchange Technology, Ultrafiltration and Reverse Osmosis
• Deposit Formation
• Flammable/Explosive Gas Management
• Radiochemistry

Mathematical and Statistical Modeling

• Theoretical and Deterministic Modeling
• Probabilistic Risk-Based Modeling
• Life Distribution Analysis

Chemical Engineering

• Power Plants
• Fossil Power Industry
• Nuclear Power Industry
• Nuclear Fuel 
• Solar Power Industry
• Chemical Cleaning
• Chemical Process Control
• Corrosion Engineering
• Water and Air Pollution
• Environmental Protection
• Project Management
• Due Diligence
• Expert Witness

Experience

Undisclosed Company, President and Senior Consultant, 2013 - Present

• Expert consultant for nuclear and fossil power plant chemistry, corrosion, troubleshooting, diagnostics, root cause analysis, industry, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), design and application guidelines for power plants, chemistry training, mathematical modeling, analysis, and expert witness services.
• Industry expert, coach, and mentor to staff and industry personnel; maintains mastery of all aspects of power plant chemistry and corrosion control. A sought-after speaker and consultant to the power industry.
• Advisor to the owner and the OEM during Hot Functional Testing (HFT) of a new nuclear power plant in China.
• Functioned as the acting primary chemist at an operating plant in the U.S.
• Provided expert witness services in 2015 and 2016 on a large case involving turbine failure.
• Demonstrated the use of improved, statistical Life Distribution Analysis for projection of steam generator life to 80 years.
• Evaluation, implementation and optimization of (a) alternate amine chemical treatments for pH, oxygen and ECP control, (b) dispersants and chemical cleaning for deposit control in PWR secondary systems and (c) zinc for corrosion mitigation and radiation field control.
• Troubleshooting and diagnostics, nuclear fuel, root cause analysis, mentoring, training and industry, manufacturer chemistry guidelines and specifications.

Areva, NP, Inc., Lynchburg, VA, 1998 - 2013

Advisory Engineer - Plant Chemistry & Corrosion Engineering

• Lead resource in the areas of water chemistry, corrosion control, ion exchange technology, process engineering and laboratory testing and services in AREVA’s plant chemistry and corrosion engineering.

Assignment

• AREVA Solar Inc., lead a team of process engineers, production engineers and research and development personnel in the development and implementation of a plan to improve the performance and reliability of specialty coatings on solar boiler tubes for customers in Australia and India.
• Team Lead for the design, construction and initial commercial operation of AREVA’s Chemistry and Materials Center (CMC), located at the Mount Athos Road (MAR) Facility in Lynchburg, VA.
• As a member of the industry committees that establish the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) specifications for primary and secondary systems in nuclear power plants.
• Recognized expert in deposit formation on heat transfer surfaces in nuclear and fossil power plants and had the technical lead on an EPRI-funded project to develop and experimentally validate a Monte Carlo risk-based deposition and corrosion assessment tool for fossil power plants. This project complimented the development of similar mathematical modeling tools for AREVA’s nuclear fuel customers.  
• Participated in steam generator chemical cleaning and sludge removal activities at Palo Verde, Salem, Davis Besse, Waterford and Oconee commercial nuclear power plants and had a leadership role in the development of a process to coagulate and remove microscopic radioactive particles from the reactor vessel cavity after Abrasive Waterjet (AWJ) segmentation of reactor vessel internals underwater at Maine Yankee.
• Performed reviews of nuclear customer Final Safety Analysis Reports (FSAR) and prepared the 10CFR50.59 safety evaluations for several customers and provided supporting calculations and evaluations for engineering/design change packages (ECP/DCP) and fuel change packages (FCP) for several customers to support zinc addition programs, pH/lithium control programs, chemical degassing and forced oxidation.

McDermott Technology, Inc., Alliance, OH, 1988 - 1998

Senior Research Specialist, Research & Development Division

• Led Due Diligence facility assessment teams and participated on contract transition teams for Decontamination and Decommissioning (D&D) and waste disposal at the U.S., Department of Energy (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) and Mound Site.
• Developed specifications and provided on-site training and consultation for Oxygenated Treatment (OT) at several fossil power plants.
• Evaluated deposition in critical components of reactor coolant pumps at three foreign nuclear power plants.
• Assisted with plant monitoring and performed a detailed evaluation that provided the technical basis for the first interim consensus water chemistry documents established by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for fossil power plants.
• Established two Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA) with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop and demonstrate a high-temperature Raman spectroscopy probe for chemical measurements at nuclear plant operating temperatures and pressures.
• Sampled and investigated fouling in feedwater venturis.
• Evaluated potential joint ventures (JV) in vapor compression desalination with a plate-type heat exchanger and conversion of biomass to ethanol.
• Presented a seminar on laboratory QA at the International Water Conference (IWC); and performed pilot plant tests on removal of uranium and other radioactive and non-radioactive components from acid waste solutions produced during manufacture of nuclear fuel.

NUS Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA, 1987 - 1988

Staff Chemist - Field Operations and Training Division:

• Wrote and conducted training courses for nuclear and fossil plant customers.
• Performed laboratory and field testing of alternate pH additives.
• Developed Quality Assurance Programs (QAP).
• Provided advice and consultation (A&C) to customers on water treatment, purification and analysis.

Babcock & Wilcox Company, Alliance, OH, Research Chemist, 1976 - 1987

Research Chemist, Research & Development Division

• Conducted basic and applied research on the solubility of chemicals in steam; conducted pilot plant tests at a power plant to evaluate deposition in critical components within the Breeder Reactor Plant (BRP) steam generator.
• Directed sampling and analysis project at an oversees power plant to determine the cause of intergranular stress corrosion cracking.
• Acted as technical consultant to customer’s QA departments; participated in design reviews; provided on-site consultation and analysis at Three Mile Island (TMI) after the well-known accident.
• Taught courses in applied chemistry; wrote specifications, directed testing and provided A&C (Analysis and Control) on large pilot plants; developed a prototype expert system for process chemistry control.
• Participated in a review of propulsion systems for U.S., Department of Defense (DoD); and developed new analytical chemistry methods and instruments for specialty applications.

Project Seed Inc., Columbus City Schools, Columbus, OH, Math Specialist, 1975 - 1976

•  As a mathematics instructor for a unique program to teach algebra to disadvantaged elementary students.

The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, Instructor, 1973 - 1975

• Laboratory Instructor for the Department of Chemistry: Instructed general college chemistry.

Honors & Publications

Credentials

•  Financial Accounting (Baldwin Wallace College
• Radiation Worker (RadWorker)
• Project Management
• Crucial Conversations
• Human Performance (Advanced Error Reduction in Organizations, Senior Leadership Workshop)

Academic and Professional Affiliations

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

• Assistant Vice Chairman of Subcommittee D19.11
• Chairman of Section D19.11.01

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

• Research Committee on the Properties of Water and Steam in Thermal Power Systems
• Utility Subcommittee on Water in Thermal Power Stations

International Association of the Properties of Water and Steam (IAPWS) 

Awards

• AREVA Engineer  
• AREVA College of Experts, Level 1

Publications and Patents

Publications 

• Authored hundreds of unpublished reports and presentations.
• Published over 40 technical papers and documents including serving as editor of the Power Plant Water Analysis Manual (ASTM, Philadelphia) and technical contributor to Steam – Its Generation and Use

Patents 

• Inventor of numerous patents in the energy, nuclear and water industries.

Education

• B.S.   Chemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH