Find Faculty Experts
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Education
- Degree: Ph.D.
- Year:
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Institution and Location
University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan -
Major Discipline
Quantum Engineering and System Sciences
- Degree: M.S.
- Year:
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Institution and Location
University of California, Berkeley, CA -
Major Discipline
Nuclear Engineering
- Degree: B.S.
- Year:
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Institution and Location
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN -
Major Discipline
Nuclear Engineering
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Karen Vierow Kirkland
Associate Department Head, Associate Professor, Department of Nuclear Engineering
Department(s): Nuclear Engineering
Campus: Texas A&M University
Contact Information
Research Topic(s)
Hydrogen production; Nuclear safety and security; Electric power generation and storage; Modeling, simulation and optimization of energy systems
Research Summary
My research focuses on fundamental thermal hydraulics phenomena and nuclear reactor safety analysis. Current research programs include studies of steam-water and air-water counter-current flow limitation in large diameter pipes; long-term containment cooling for Boiling Water Reactors under Station Blackout conditions; reactor safety system design; and severe accident analysis, in which core damage has occurred. My Laboratory for Nuclear Heat Transfer Systems is equipped with a 150-kW steam generator, four test sections, state-of-the-art flow measurement devices and a National Instruments data acquisition system. Analytical capabilities include MELCOR and RELAP5-3D reactor safety codes, VIPRE subchannel code and GOTHIC thermal hydraulic code.
Professional Background
2006-Present Associate Professor (tenured effective Sep 2009), Department of Nuclear Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 2001-2006 Assistant Professor, School of Nuclear Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 1993-2000 Assistant Chief Engineer, Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation 1990-1993 Engineer, General Electric Nuclear Energy 1988-1990 Research Assistant, Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley 1987-1988 Visiting Researcher, Hitachi Energy Research Laboratory -
Themes, Areas, and Topics
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Theme 1: Fossil and Non-Fossil based Technologies for Energy
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Area 1: Fossil-based Technologies for Energy
- T1: Petroleum exploration and production
- T2: Conventional and unconventional reservoirs
- T3: Drilling technologies
- T4: Natural/shale gas production
- T5: Natural/shale gas supply chain
- T6: Coal conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T12: Hydrogen production
- T25: Catalysis and reaction engineering for energy applications
- T26: Combustion
- T27: Multifunctional materials for energy applications
- T28: Separation technologies for energy applications (e.g., CO2 capture, utilization, storage)
- T29: Materials for separations in energy applications
- T57: Energy security
- T58: Environmental risk assessment for planning offshore structures
- T60: Water use in hydraulic fracturing
- T65: Crude oil processing: non-thermal, electrical discharge, and plasma processes
-
Area 2: Renewable Technologies for Energy
- T7: Biomass production
- T8: Biomass conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T9: Biomass-based supply chain
- T10: Hybrid feedstocks (any combination of biomass/coal/natural gas/petroleum) conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T11: Hybrid feedstocks-based supply chain
- T12: Hydrogen production
- T17: Solar energy conversion and lighting technologies
- T18: Materials for solar energy conversion and storage
- T19: Wind energy conversion technologies
- T20: Wind energy measurement, forecasting, and storage
- T24: Ocean energy conversion
- T25: Catalysis and reaction engineering for energy applications
- T26: Combustion
- T27: Multifunctional materials for energy applications
- T28: Separation technologies for energy applications (e.g., CO2 capture, utilization, storage)
- T29: Materials for separations in energy applications
- T34: Fuel cells technologies and materials
- T35: Thermoelectrics-based technologies and materials
- T55: Nondestructive testing for energy applications
- T56: Biofuel biochemistry and energy metabolism
- T63: Turbomachinery for energy use and its reliability
- T64: Materials for wind energy
- Area 3: Geothermal and Hydropower-based Technologies for Energy
-
Area 4: Nuclear Energy Technologies
- T14: Nuclear energy conversion technologies
- T15: Materials for nuclear fuels and system design
- T16: Nuclear safety and security
- T27: Multifunctional materials for energy applications
- T53: Applied superconductivity
- T54: Neutron imaging for energy materials
- T55: Nondestructive testing for energy applications
- T57: Energy security
-
Area 8: Multi-scale Analysis, Simulation, Synthesis, and Optimization of Energy Systems
- T5: Natural/shale gas supply chain
- T6: Coal conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T8: Biomass conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T9: Biomass-based supply chain
- T10: Hybrid feedstocks (any combination of biomass/coal/natural gas/petroleum) conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T11: Hybrid feedstocks-based supply chain
- T12: Hydrogen production
- T13: Hydrogen-based supply chain
- T25: Catalysis and reaction engineering for energy applications
- T26: Combustion
- T27: Multifunctional materials for energy applications
- T28: Separation technologies for energy applications (e.g., CO2 capture, utilization, storage)
- T29: Materials for separations in energy applications
- T39: Modeling, simulation and optimization of energy systems
- T40: Design and synthesis of energy conversion systems
- T41: Energy supply chain
- T42: Control, scheduling, planning, safety, risk analysis, and uncertainty in energy systems
- T45: Energy and sustainability
- T46: Energy and water supply chain
- T47: Energy and food supply chain
- T48: Energy efficiency in urban systems
- T49: Energy use, conservation and lighting technologies for buildings
- T50: Energy in transportation systems: Electric, natural gas, and hybrid vehicles
- T59: Communications for energy systems
- T60: Water use in hydraulic fracturing
- T62: Environmental impacts of energy production
- Area 9: Energy Transmission
-
Area 10: Energy Policy, Law, Security, and Societal Impact
- T16: Nuclear safety and security
- T33: Smart grid safety and security
- T41: Energy supply chain
- T43: Energy economics
- T44: Energy law and policy
- T45: Energy and sustainability
- T46: Energy and water supply chain
- T47: Energy and food supply chain
- T57: Energy security
- T62: Environmental impacts of energy production
-
Area 1: Fossil-based Technologies for Energy
-
Theme 2: Materials, Catalysis, and Separations for Energy
-
Area 1: Fossil-based Technologies for Energy
- T1: Petroleum exploration and production
- T2: Conventional and unconventional reservoirs
- T3: Drilling technologies
- T4: Natural/shale gas production
- T5: Natural/shale gas supply chain
- T6: Coal conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T12: Hydrogen production
- T25: Catalysis and reaction engineering for energy applications
- T26: Combustion
- T27: Multifunctional materials for energy applications
- T28: Separation technologies for energy applications (e.g., CO2 capture, utilization, storage)
- T29: Materials for separations in energy applications
- T57: Energy security
- T58: Environmental risk assessment for planning offshore structures
- T60: Water use in hydraulic fracturing
- T65: Crude oil processing: non-thermal, electrical discharge, and plasma processes
-
Area 2: Renewable Technologies for Energy
- T7: Biomass production
- T8: Biomass conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T9: Biomass-based supply chain
- T10: Hybrid feedstocks (any combination of biomass/coal/natural gas/petroleum) conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T11: Hybrid feedstocks-based supply chain
- T12: Hydrogen production
- T17: Solar energy conversion and lighting technologies
- T18: Materials for solar energy conversion and storage
- T19: Wind energy conversion technologies
- T20: Wind energy measurement, forecasting, and storage
- T24: Ocean energy conversion
- T25: Catalysis and reaction engineering for energy applications
- T26: Combustion
- T27: Multifunctional materials for energy applications
- T28: Separation technologies for energy applications (e.g., CO2 capture, utilization, storage)
- T29: Materials for separations in energy applications
- T34: Fuel cells technologies and materials
- T35: Thermoelectrics-based technologies and materials
- T55: Nondestructive testing for energy applications
- T56: Biofuel biochemistry and energy metabolism
- T63: Turbomachinery for energy use and its reliability
- T64: Materials for wind energy
- Area 3: Geothermal and Hydropower-based Technologies for Energy
-
Area 4: Nuclear Energy Technologies
- T14: Nuclear energy conversion technologies
- T15: Materials for nuclear fuels and system design
- T16: Nuclear safety and security
- T27: Multifunctional materials for energy applications
- T53: Applied superconductivity
- T54: Neutron imaging for energy materials
- T55: Nondestructive testing for energy applications
- T57: Energy security
-
Area 5: Energy Storage
- T31: Electric power generation and storage
- T34: Fuel cells technologies and materials
- T35: Thermoelectrics-based technologies and materials
- T36: Technologies for energy storage: Batteries
- T37: Technologies for energy storage: Hydrogen
- T38: Technologies for energy storage: Supercapacitors
- T51: Technologies for energy storage: Compressed air
- T52: Technologies for energy storage: Heat pumps
- T61: Technologies for energy storage: Flywheels
- T64: Materials for wind energy
- Area 6: Energy Efficiency
- Area 7: Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage
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Area 8: Multi-scale Analysis, Simulation, Synthesis, and Optimization of Energy Systems
- T5: Natural/shale gas supply chain
- T6: Coal conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T8: Biomass conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T9: Biomass-based supply chain
- T10: Hybrid feedstocks (any combination of biomass/coal/natural gas/petroleum) conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T11: Hybrid feedstocks-based supply chain
- T12: Hydrogen production
- T13: Hydrogen-based supply chain
- T25: Catalysis and reaction engineering for energy applications
- T26: Combustion
- T27 Multifunctional materials for energy applications
- T28: Separation technologies for energy applications (e.g., CO2 capture, utilization, storage)
- T29: Materials for separations in energy applications
- T39: Modeling, simulation and optimization of energy systems
- T40: Design and synthesis of energy conversion systems
- T41: Energy supply chain
- T42: Control, scheduling, planning, safety, risk analysis, and uncertainty in energy systems
- T45: Energy and sustainability
- T46: Energy and water supply chain
- T47: Energy and food supply chain
- T48: Energy efficiency in urban systems
- T49: Energy use, conservation and lighting technologies for buildings
- T50: Energy in transportation systems: Electric, natural gas, and hybrid vehicles
- T59: Communications for energy systems
- T60: Water use in hydraulic fracturing
- T62: Environmental impacts of energy production
-
Area 1: Fossil-based Technologies for Energy
-
Theme 3: Multi-scale Energy Systems Engineering
-
Area 1: Fossil-based Technologies for Energy
- T1: Petroleum exploration and production
- T2: Conventional and unconventional reservoirs
- T3: Drilling technologies
- T4: Natural/shale gas production
- T5: Natural/shale gas supply chain
- T6: Coal conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T12: Hydrogen production
- T25: Catalysis and reaction engineering for energy applications
- T26: Combustion
- T27: Multifunctional materials for energy applications
- T28: Separation technologies for energy applications (e.g., CO2 capture, utilization, storage)
- T29: Materials for separations in energy applications
- T57: Energy security
- T58: Environmental risk assessment for planning offshore structures
- T60: Water use in hydraulic fracturing
- T65: Crude oil processing: non-thermal, electrical discharge, and plasma processes
-
Area 2: Renewable Technologies for Energy
- T7: Biomass production
- T8: Biomass conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T9: Biomass-based supply chain
- T10: Hybrid feedstocks (any combination of biomass/coal/natural gas/petroleum) conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T11: Hybrid feedstocks-based supply chain
- T12: Hydrogen production
- T17: Solar energy conversion and lighting technologies
- T18: Materials for solar energy conversion and storage
- T19: Wind energy conversion technologies
- T20: Wind energy measurement, forecasting, and storage
- T24: Ocean energy conversion
- T25: Catalysis and reaction engineering for energy applications
- T26: Combustion
- T27: Multifunctional materials for energy applications
- T28: Separation technologies for energy applications (e.g., CO2 capture, utilization, storage)
- T29: Materials for separations in energy applications
- T34: Fuel cells technologies and materials
- T35: Thermoelectrics-based technologies and materials
- T55: Nondestructive testing for energy applications
- T56: Biofuel biochemistry and energy metabolism
- T63: Turbomachinery for energy use and its reliability
- T64: Materials for wind energy
- Area 3: Geothermal and Hydropower-based Technologies for Energy
-
Area 4: Nuclear Energy Technologies
- T14: Nuclear energy conversion technologies
- T15: Materials for nuclear fuels and system design
- T16: Nuclear safety and security
- T27: Multifunctional materials for energy applications
- T53: Applied superconductivity
- T54: Neutron imaging for energy materials
- T55: Nondestructive testing for energy applications
- T57: Energy security
- Area 6: Energy Efficiency
- Area 7: Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage
-
Area 8: Multi-scale Analysis, Simulation, Synthesis, and Optimization of Energy Systems
- T5: Natural/shale gas supply chain
- T6: Coal conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T8: Biomass conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T9: Biomass-based supply chain
- T10: Hybrid feedstocks (any combination of biomass/coal/natural gas/petroleum) conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T11: Hybrid feedstocks-based supply chain
- T12: Hydrogen production
- T13: Hydrogen-based supply chain
- T25: Catalysis and reaction engineering for energy applications
- T26: Combustion
- T27: Multifunctional materials for energy applications
- T28: Separation technologies for energy applications (e.g., CO2 capture, utilization, storage)
- T29: Materials for separations in energy applications
- T39: Modeling, simulation and optimization of energy systems
- T40: Design and synthesis of energy conversion systems
- T41: Energy supply chain
- T42: Control, scheduling, planning, safety, risk analysis, and uncertainty in energy systems
- T45: Energy and sustainability
- T46: Energy and water supply chain
- T47: Energy and food supply chain
- T48: Energy efficiency in urban systems
- T49: Energy use, conservation and lighting technologies for buildings
- T50: Energy in transportation systems: Electric, natural gas, and hybrid vehicles
- T59: Communications for energy systems
- T60: Water use in hydraulic fracturing
- T62: Environmental impacts of energy production
- Area 9: Energy Transmission
-
Area 10: Energy Policy, Law, Security, and Societal Impact
- T16: Nuclear safety and security
- T33: Smart grid safety and security
- T41: Energy supply chain
- T43: Energy economics
- T44: Energy law and policy
- T45: Energy and sustainability
- T46: Energy and water supply chain
- T47: Energy and food supply chain
- T57: Energy security
- T62: Environmental impacts of energy production
-
Area 1: Fossil-based Technologies for Energy
-
Theme 4: Energy Economics, Law, Policy, and Societal Impact
-
Area 1: Fossil-based Technologies for Energy
- T1: Petroleum exploration and production
- T2: Conventional and unconventional reservoirs
- T3: Drilling technologies
- T4: Natural/shale gas production
- T5: Natural/shale gas supply chain
- T6: Coal conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T12: Hydrogen production
- T25: Catalysis and reaction engineering for energy applications
- T26: Combustion
- T27: Multifunctional materials for energy applications
- T28: Separation technologies for energy applications (e.g., CO2 capture, utilization, storage)
- T29: Materials for separations in energy applications
- T57: Energy security
- T58: Environmental risk assessment for planning offshore structures
- T60: Water use in hydraulic fracturing
- T65: Crude oil processing: non-thermal, electrical discharge, and plasma processes
-
Area 2: Renewable Technologies for Energy
- T7: Biomass production
- T8: Biomass conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T9: Biomass-based supply chain
- T10: Hybrid feedstocks (any combination of biomass/coal/natural gas/petroleum) conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T11: Hybrid feedstocks-based supply chain
- T12: Hydrogen production
- T17: Solar energy conversion and lighting technologies
- T18: Materials for solar energy conversion and storage
- T19: Wind energy conversion technologies
- T20: Wind energy measurement, forecasting, and storage
- T24: Ocean energy conversion
- T25: Catalysis and reaction engineering for energy applications
- T26: Combustion
- T27: Multifunctional materials for energy applications
- T28: Separation technologies for energy applications (e.g., CO2 capture, utilization, storage)
- T29: Materials for separations in energy applications
- T34: Fuel cells technologies and materials
- T35: Thermoelectrics-based technologies and materials
- T55: Nondestructive testing for energy applications
- T56: Biofuel biochemistry and energy metabolism
- T63: Turbomachinery for energy use and its reliability
- T64: Materials for wind energy
- Area 3: Geothermal and Hydropower-based Technologies for Energy
-
Area 4: Nuclear Energy Technologies
- T14: Nuclear energy conversion technologies
- T15: Materials for nuclear fuels and system design
- T16: Nuclear safety and security
- T27: Multifunctional materials for energy applications
- T53: Applied superconductivity
- T54: Neutron imaging for energy materials
- T55: Nondestructive testing for energy applications
- T57: Energy security
- Area 7: Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage
-
Area 8: Multi-scale Analysis, Simulation, Synthesis, and Optimization of Energy Systems
- T5: Natural/shale gas supply chain
- T6: Coal conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T8: Biomass conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T9: Biomass-based supply chain
- T10: Hybrid feedstocks (any combination of biomass/coal/natural gas/petroleum) conversion to liquid fuels/chemicals/electricity
- T11: Hybrid feedstocks-based supply chain
- T12: Hydrogen production
- T13: Hydrogen-based supply chain
- T25: Catalysis and reaction engineering for energy applications
- T26: Combustion
- T27: Multifunctional materials for energy applications
- T28: Separation technologies for energy applications (e.g., CO2 capture, utilization, storage)
- T29: Materials for separations in energy applications
- T39: Modeling, simulation and optimization of energy systems
- T40: Design and synthesis of energy conversion systems
- T41: Energy supply chain
- T42: Control, scheduling, planning, safety, risk analysis, and uncertainty in energy systems
- T45: Energy and sustainability
- T46: Energy and water supply chain
- T47: Energy and food supply chain
- T48: Energy efficiency in urban systems
- T49: Energy use, conservation and lighting technologies for buildings
- T50: Energy in transportation systems: Electric, natural gas, and hybrid vehicles
- T59: Communications for energy systems
- T60: Water use in hydraulic fracturing
- T62: Environmental impacts of energy production
- Area 9: Energy Transmission
-
Area 10: Energy Policy, Law, Security, and Societal Impact
- T16: Nuclear safety and security
- T33: Smart grid safety and security
- T41: Energy supply chain
- T43: Energy economics
- T44: Energy law and policy
- T45: Energy and sustainability
- T46: Energy and water supply chain
- T47: Energy and food supply chain
- T57: Energy security
- T62: Environmental impacts of energy production
-
Area 1: Fossil-based Technologies for Energy
-
Theme 1: Fossil and Non-Fossil based Technologies for Energy