Ryan Collette

Ryan Collette is a Nuclear Engineering Ph.D. graduate from the King Research Group at the Colorado School of Mines, where his research focused on the irradiation performance of additively manufactured (3-D printed) metals. Originally from New Hampshire, Ryan has a Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and received a Master of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering from Mines in 2015.

 

Additively manufactured (AM), or 3-D printed, parts have the potential to greatly improve the operation and maintenance of nuclear reactor systems. The deployment of AM technologies into the nuclear sector is currently limited by a lack of characterization and property data as well as a need for irradiation and thermal performance benchmarks. This information is necessary to satisfy nuclear quality assurance requirements and ensure that the materials can perform satisfactorily in a nuclear reactor environment. However, the microstructures generated from AM processes can often be highly complex and introduce new features that are not observed in conventionally processed materials. The steep thermal gradients and rapid solidification experienced during AM processing result in microstructures that are distinct from those produced by traditional manufacturing methods. Recent studies have demonstrated improved material performance for stainless steel parts produced by AM as compared to their as-cast or as-wrought counterparts. These materials have demonstrated the ability to overcome the strength-ductility tradeoff that is common to traditional strengthening approaches in poly-crystalline materials. However, it is unknown how these structures will evolve in a radiation environment. Ryan’s research investigates the efficacy of AM produced microstructures in the design of radiation tolerant materials.