Ankit Saxena
University of Wyoming, WY·Engineering
Nuclear power plants must survive earthquakes. Most seismic protection, however, is tailored to a specific site.
- Fields
Engineering
Materials Science
- Topics
seismic protection
earthquake engineering
nuclear power plants
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Jul 2028
What they work on
- Develop a topology optimization algorithm based on Sequential Linear Programming to systematically design resonant particle dampers despite their nonlinear and random particle interactions.
- Apply this algorithm to design meta-surfaces of buried particle dampers that create tunable frequency band gaps to block seismic waves around a nuclear reactor.
- Establish a design framework for particle dampers whose goals can be adjusted for vibration-control needs beyond seismic protection.
More about the research
This project proposes GRASP (Globally Responsive Absolute Seismic Protection), a passive protection system meant to work regardless of location. It is built from particle dampers, which are cavities filled with particles that absorb vibration energy as the particles collide and rub against each other.
Why it matters
Passive, location-independent earthquake protection could make nuclear power plants safer wherever they are built. The design methods for particle dampers may also improve vibration control in aerospace, robotics, energy harvesting and mechanical metamaterials.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
James Gibert
Purdue University, IN·Engineering·Early-career
Establish a mathematical framework, using dynamical systems theory with analytical and numerical modeling, for how topology interacts with nonlinear, time-dependent behavior in heterogeneous mechanical metamaterials.
Ed Habtour
University of Washington, WA·Engineering·Early-career
Develop dynamics models that predict how irregular segmented structures, modeled on diving seabird necks and stingray wings, guide waves through them by varying local rigidity, interfaces and pattern connectivity.
Il Sang Ahn
University of Alaska Fairbanks, AK·Earth & Environmental Science
Test whether cracks and gaps in natural ground cause nonlinear coupling between wind and seismic vibrations that shows up as wind-induced noise in seismometer data.
The school
University of Wyoming: 8 labs on PI Pages, $167M a year on research, 108 research doctorates a year.
Reach out
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