Dr. Antonio Cammi, Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering, Department of Energy at Politecnico di Milano, will give a talk entitled "Three Hot Topics in Nuclear Engineering: From Machine Learning-Aided Multiphysics to Schrödinger CFD and Photofission"

April 04, 2025

@ 10:10, 6051 VTRC, Arlington; 440 Goodwin Hall, Blacksburg.
For remote access, click here to register.

Abstract
This presentation explores three emerging advancements in nuclear engineering. We first examine how machine learning helps multiphysics simulations, reducing computational costs while maintaining accuracy in coupled neutronics-thermal hydraulics calculations, opening the way to new applications.

The second topic investigates Madelung's hydrodynamic interpretation of the Schrödinger equation for computational fluid dynamics. This provides a new approach to CFD, utilizing a linear equation.

Finally, we discuss photofission applications in nuclear waste management and novel reactor concepts. High-energy photon-induced fission shows promise for transmuting long-lived actinides in spent fuel, while also enabling innovative subcritical reactor designs with enhanced safety features and improved fuel utilization.

These interconnected advances represent practical pathways toward more efficient, safer nuclear technologies.

Bio
Dr. Antonio Cammi graduated with honors in Nuclear Engineering from the Politecnico di Milano (PoliMi), where he also obtained his PhD (cum laude) in Science and Technology of Radiations.

He is an associate professor of Nuclear Engineering (full-time) at the Department of Energy at Politecnico di Milano, where he is responsible for the “Fission Reactor Physics” course in the Master’s program in Nuclear Engineering. He has been the academic supervisor of more than 100 MSc students and over 30 PhD students in recent years. At the beginning of 2015, he obtained the National Scientific Qualification to serve as a full professor of Nuclear Engineering. Since the beginning of 2025, he has joined Khalifa University (Abu Dhabi) to lead collaborative research initiatives in advanced nuclear systems.

Antonio Cammi is the author or co-author of more than 400 papers in international refereed journals, and he serves systematically as referee for several journals, among which Nuclear Engineering and Design, Annals of Nuclear Energy, Progress in Nuclear Energy, Chemical Engineering Science, Applied Thermal Engineering, International Journal of Thermal Sciences, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer and many others.

In the past years, he was the responsible PoliMi of several research contracts/projects within the EU research and innovation program.

The main research activities of Antonio Cammi are:
---- development of innovative design for nuclear systems and components (ADS, IRIS, ELSY, SURE, CFR, ALFRED, MSFR);
--- development of innovative control strategies for power plants;
---- development of new methods and techniques (multi-physics modeling approach, reduced-order modeling approach,
---- object-oriented simulators) for analyzing nuclear reactors of new generation.

Dr. Antonio Cammi is responsible for Dynamo labs and he contributed to the design of the facilities Dynasty (DYnamics of NAtural circulation for molten SalT internallY heated) and eDynasty (extended DYNASTY). These facilities are composed of natural circulation loops aimed at studying the natural circulation dynamics in the presence of volumetric distributed heat sources.
He is also involved in several thermal-hydraulics experimental campaigns at the Triga reactor at the University of Pavia.