News
DOE funds new cooling loop at Nuclear Science Center
(WSU Insider, June 29, 2023)
Washington State University’s nuclear reactor pool will be able to keep its cool longer, thanks to a $740,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.
The funds will pay for an upgraded, secondary cooling loop at the university’s Nuclear Science Center that will allow the 1-megawatt Triga Reactor to operate more often and longer in service of research projects.
The reactor rests about 25 feet deep at the bottom of a pool of 65,000 gallons of water, which helps dissipate the heat it generates when it is running. The current cooling system for the water is more than two decades old, and the new cooling loop will mean less thermal cycling in the reactor pool water. In other words, it will stay at a more consistent, cool temperature as opposed to going through cycles of heating up and cooling off.
“The goal is that when we get the system installed, we’ll be able to start up the reactor to a megawatt and the reactor pool water will hit an equilibrium temperature relatively quickly, and it will be stable for as long as we need to operate the reactor in support of all of our fantastic projects,” said Corey Hines, the Center’s director.
Planning and installation of the cooling loop will take place over the next two years.
2023 Chemical Olympiad
February 25, 2023
The U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) is an exciting, multi-level competition designed for high school students. Since 1984, the American Chemical Society (ACS) has proudly sponsored this program. Each year, local ACS sections across the country host their own Local Chemistry Olympiad Exams. Top students from these local competitions are then selected to advance to the National Chemistry Olympiad Exams.
Since 2015, our ACS Washington-Idaho Border Section (WIBS) has hosted the local Chemistry Olympiad competition. Washington State University (WSU) Chemistry had the honor of hosting the event in 2018 and again in 2023. The competition challenges students with a rigorous written exam, two practical lab exercises, and a Chemistry Demonstration show. The Olympiad hosted by WSU Chemistry in 2023 was a huge success, with around 50 high school students participating. It was an absolute joy to see so much enthusiasm and team spirit. This event wouldn’t have been possible without the collective effort of the ACS WIBS officers, our dedicated graduate and undergraduate volunteers, and Mike Finnegan, who brought chemistry to life with his demonstration show. It was definitely a team effort, and it was a blast!
We hope to host the Chemistry Olympiad again at WSU Chemistry and look forward to even greater participation. With more volunteers and continued enthusiasm, we can make future competitions even more successful and inspiring for all involved.
The next Chemical Olympiad will be held at WSU Pullman, spring 2025.
Aditi Dahiya won first place for the Three Minute Thesis—Bone Defect Research. Congratulations!
(CAS Story Hub, March 15, 2024)
Dahiya’s $1,000-winning presentation, “Healing Bone Using Spices,” focused on bone health issues and “merging natural medicinal compounds, [e.g., turmeric and oregano], with 3D printing technology to forge a tailored approach to bone defect treatments.” She notes that this type of research “could mark a pivotal step towards a more accessible and less invasive treatment modality for bone-related ailments.”