Dr. S.E. Day

Dr. Simon E. Day
Adjunct Assistant Professor,
Department of Engineering Physics
Reactor Supervisor – Analysis,
McMaster Nuclear Reactor

McMaster University
1280 Main Street West, Hamilton,
Ontario, Canada  L8S 4K1

Office: NRB A330
Email:    dayse@mcmaster.ca
Voice:   905.525.9140 x 23191
Fax:     905.524.3994

Ph.D. (McMaster), M.Eng. (McMaster), B.Sc. (Saint Mary’s)

Background

My background is primarily in Reactor Analysis with specialties in Safety Analysis, Operations Support, and Criticality Safety.  Since 1998, I have led the Reactor Analysis group at the McMaster Nuclear Reactor.

My research interests typically involve combining experimental and computational/simulation aspects of nuclear reactor analysis.  The goal of this approach is to provide the opportunity for a well-balanced educational and research experience.  My current areas of activity include safety analysis methodology development, code benchmarking against experimental data, positron beam-line design & optimization, and various aspects of reactor operations & research.

Research Areas

Nuclear Reactor Safety Analysis: in particular safety limit determination for MTR-type research reactors based on experimental data.  Extension of previous work in this area is related to conversion to low-enrichment fuel cycles and in benchmarking simulation tools and development and application of advanced methodologies.  This work also has application in computer simulation software development and application.

Reactor Analysis & Operation: This broad area of research ties simulation methods to experimental data; providing validation, verification and justification of analysis tools and methods.  The work is centred at the McMaster Nuclear Reactor, providing the opportunity for hands-on experimentation and experience with a nuclear reactor and associated work areas.  Specific projects are developed to focus on various aspects of the MNR core and experimental/irradiation facilities and have further application in areas such as material testing, and medical isotope production.

Positron Beam-line Studies:  This work is focussed on the Reactor Analysis associated with a positron beam-line experiment at the McMaster Nuclear Reactor.  This facility is one of four worldwide and the latest generation of the technology.  Working in collaboration with the University of Delft (The Netherlands) and the Technical University of Munich (Germany), research and development is in the areas of beam-line commissioning, shielding, and beam brightness enhancement.  The former two topics are associated with Generation I development and installation activities while the latter area constitutes work towards the Generation II phase of the McMaster Intense Positron Beam Facility (MIPBF).  This is a collaborative project with both the Department of Engineering Physics and the McMaster Accelerator Laboratory.

Current Activities

  • Participant in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Coordinated Research Project(CRD): “Innovative Methods in Research Reactor Analysis – Benchmark against Experimental Data”
  • Lead researcher on the Reactor component of the recently funded Canadian Foundation for Innovation grant for the McMaster Intense Positron Beam Facility (MIPBF) centred at the McMaster Nuclear Reactor. (design phase)
  • Project manager for MNR Hydraulic Test Facility (construction phase).
  • Academic supervisor for a PhD project on gamma/nuclear heating in the MNR core including both experimental and simulation components, in collaboration with CEA Cadarache.
  • Reviewer for the Canadian High School Curriculum on Nuclear Energy, and for the journal Nuclear Engineering & Design.

I also hold memberships in the Canadian Working Group for Criticality Safety, and the European Nuclear Society, and the Canadian Nuclear Society. I have been actively working under the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactor (RERTR) program based out of Argonne National Laboratory (USA).

Sample Publications:

  • S. Chatzidakis, A. Ikonomopoulos, S.E. Day, “PARET-ANL Modelling of a SPERT-IV Experiment under different DNB Correlations”, article in press, Nuclear Technology, 2011.
  • S. E. Day, “Positron Source Design Analysis for the McMaster Nuclear Reactor”, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, presented at the 2010 European Nuclear Conference, Barcelona, Spain, 30 May to 2 June 2010.
  • S. E. Day, K. J. Stoll, J. C. Luxat, “Safety System Coverage for the McMaster Nuclear Reactor”, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, presented at the 2010 European Nuclear Conference, Barcelona, Spain, 30 May to 2 June 2010.
  • K. J. Stoll, S. E. Day, J. C. Luxat, “The Development of Trip Coverage Maps for the McMaster Nuclear Reactor”, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, presented at the 31st Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, May 24-27, 2010.
  • A. C. Morreale, S. E. Day, Wm. J. Garland, “The Effect of Intermittent Operation on Local Fission Rate in the McMaster Nuclear Reactor”, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, presented at the 31st Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, May 24-27, 2010.
  • P. Mascher, A.P. Knights, S. E. Day, P. Kruse, P. J. Simpson, C.H. Storry, “The McMaster Intense Positron Beam Facility”, presented at the Advanced Science Research Symposium 2009 (ASR2009) conference, Tokai, Japan, November 10-12, 2009.
  • S. E. Day, “Determining MTR RIA Limits Using Experimental Data”, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, presented at the Research Reactor Fuel Management/International Group of Research Reactors joint conference, Lyon, France, 11-14 March, 2007.
  • S. E. Day, M. P. Butler, Wm. J. Garland, “Calculations in Support of the MNR Core Conversion”, McMaster Nuclear Reactor, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, presented as a poster at the 24th International Meeting on Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, 3-8 November, 2002.
  • S. E. Day, “Application of the Borax Experiments to the McMaster Nuclear Reactor”, McMaster Nuclear Reactor, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, presented at the 23rd Annual Conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2-5 June, 2002.