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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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Remembering ANS member Gil Brown
Brown
The nuclear community is mourning the loss of Gilbert Brown, who passed away on July 11 at the age of 77 following a battle with cancer.
Brown, an American Nuclear Society Fellow and an ANS member for nearly 50 years, joined the faculty at Lowell Technological Institute—now the University of Massachusetts–Lowell—in 1973 and remained there for the rest of his career. He eventually became director of the UMass Lowell nuclear engineering program. After his retirement, he remained an emeritus professor at the university.
Sukesh Aghara, chair of the Nuclear Engineering Department Heads Organization, noted in an email to NEDHO members and others that “Gil was a relentless advocate for nuclear energy and a deeply respected member of our professional community. He was also a kind and generous friend—and one of the reasons I ended up at UMass Lowell. He served the university with great dedication. . . . Within NEDHO, Gil was a steady presence and served for many years as our treasurer. His contributions to nuclear engineering education and to this community will be dearly missed.”
Rex Gyeabour Abrefah, Felix Ameyaw
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 198 | Number 10 | October 2024 | Pages 2038-2050
Note | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2023.2284454
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The effectiveness of contemporary strategies for conducting fault tree/event tree (FTET) analyses within the realm of probabilistic risk assessment has recently come under rigorous examination. In light of such investigation, facility managers have gained a more profound understanding of the risk and safety implications inherent in the structural and componential integrity of systems (structures, systems, and components). This comprehensive research endeavor harnesses the power of risk models, employing both FTET and binary decision diagrams, to scrutinize and optimize the operational performance of a 10-MW reference Russian research reactor [Water-Water Research Reactor (VVR)] within the framework of probabilistic safety assessment. Moreover, this investigation delves into the intricate web of interrelationships existing among an array of analytical methodologies. These encompass the Fussell-Vesely (FV) importance measure, criticality analysis, Birnbaum analysis, risk achievement worth (RAW), and the differential importance measure, all with a focus on specific foundational events and vital components. Additionally, this note delves into the analysis of multiple significant measures frequently employed for VVR. Notably, the study establishes that merely two importance measures (IMs) prove sufficient for the core damage equation. Furthermore, this note investigates various important measures often employed for VVR. It is shown that two IMs are enough for the core damage equation. In conclusion, RAW, FV importance, or a blend of the two are adequate enough to be frequently employed for the VVR.
