Robert Salko

Dr. Robert Salko

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

11Years (2016-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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1 April 2021 in Nuclear Engineering and Design
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
XZXingang Zhao
Xingang Zhao
RSRobert Salko
Robert Salko
KSKoroush Shirvan
Koroush Shirvan

24 March 2019
Verified
Report
Closed access
RSRobert Salko
Robert Salko
MAMaria Avramova
Maria Avramova
AWAaron Wysocki
Aaron Wysocki
ATAysenur Toptan
Aysenur Toptan
JHJianwei Hu
Jianwei Hu
JKJoseph Kelly
Joseph Kelly

31 August 2022 in Nuclear Engineering and Design
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
RSRobert Salko
Robert Salko
AWAaron Wysocki
Aaron Wysocki
TBTaylor Blyth
Taylor Blyth
ATAysenur Toptan
Aysenur Toptan
JHJianwei Hu
Jianwei Hu
MPMartin Pilch
Martin Pilch

15 July 2025 in Applied Thermal Engineering
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
AFAidan Furlong
Aidan Furlong
Xingang ZhaoXingang Zhao
Xingang Zhao
RSRobert Salko
Robert Salko
XWXu Wu
Xu Wu

3 May 2021 in Nuclear Science and Engineering
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
AGAaron M. Graham
Aaron M. Graham
ZTZack Taylor
Zack Taylor
BCBenjamin S. Collins
Benjamin S. Collins
RSRobert Salko
Robert Salko
MPMax Poschmann
Max Poschmann
New multiphysics coupling capabilities for molten salt reactor (MSR) analysis have been developed in the Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA). This development consisted of two main efforts. First, a generic species transport module was added in the CTF code, which is the thermal-hydraulics (TH) code for VERA. This module uses the velocity fields for which CTF solves during the TH calculation to transport species through the core and around the primary loop. Additionally, a gas sparging model has been added to CTF to model the movement of certain species, namely, fission products such as xenon gas, to transport between the molten salt and gas bubbles present in the salt. The second effort in this development was coupling this capability to VERA’s neutron transport code MPACT. This effort focused on coupling the detailed TH transport models in CTF to MPACT to account for feedback effects in the neutron transport calculations. Finally, the thermochemistry code Thermochimica has also been coupled to VERA. Thermochimica performs pointwise calculations for chemical potential and Gibbs free energy and determines what phases are produced by the temperature, pressure, and elemental concentrations at different locations in the primary loop. These capabilities are demonstrated using a model of the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE). This reactor operated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the 1960s, providing sources of experimental data that were used to develop the model. Various combinations of species were modeled using VERA’s new multiphysics coupling capabilities. Species distributions and reactivity effects behaved as expected for the MSRE model, demonstrating that the coupling is behaving correctly and causing appropriate feedback. The results of these calculations show the potential for VERA to be used for a wide variety of MSR analyses.

2 July 2024 in Annals of Nuclear Energy
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
RSRobert Salko
Robert Salko
AWAaron Wysocki
Aaron Wysocki
BHBelgacem Hizoum
Belgacem Hizoum
NCNathan Capps
Nathan Capps