Principal Thermal-Hydraulics & Safety Analysis Engineer

BlueCore Energy • Long Beach, CA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Principal Thermal-Hydraulics & Safety Analysis Engineer operates at the critical intersection of fluids, structural mechanics, and safety. You will convert the reactor heat source into a safe, sized coolant system by wearing multiple hats. In this role, you will model system thermal-hydraulics, perform mechanical sizing for the primary, secondary, and tertiary loops, and author the Chapter 15 safety analyses for our Preliminary and Final Safety Analysis Reports (PSAR/FSAR).

Requirements

• MS or PhD in Nuclear or Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in reactor thermal-hydraulics or pressure-vessel design.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience running system thermal-hydraulics codes (e.g., RELAP5-3D, TRACE, or ATHLET).
• Experience running subchannel codes (e.g., VIPRE-01, COBRA-TF/CTF) for MDNBR and hot-channel factor evaluation.
• Deep understanding of ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Division 1, Subsection NB (Class 1) for primary component design-by-analysis.
• Ability to size a steam generator and heat exchangers from heat balances using formulas.
• Experience sizing reactor pressure vessel walls utilizing membrane hoop thickness formulas.

Nice To Haves

• Experience designing primary, secondary, and tertiary loop components for marine or compact-PWR environments.
• Familiarity with ANSYS or ABAQUS structural FEA to evaluate components under dynamic marine loads.
• Deep understanding of 10 CFR 50 Appendix G fracture-toughness requirements and embrittlement shifts over vessel life.
• Familiarity with applying shock and wave dynamic loading constraints to primary component mounts and structures.
• Experience integrating deterministic Chapter 15 safety results with a broader Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA).

Responsibilities

• Own system thermal-hydraulics modeling (nodalization, LOCA, natural circulation) and subchannel Departure from Nucleate Boiling Ratio (DNBR) and hot-channel analysis.
• Perform mechanical sizing for the reactor pressure vessel, steam generator, pressurizer, and reactor coolant pumps.
• Establish primary, secondary, and tertiary heat balances and flows, including seawater heat rejection support.
• Author the Chapter 15 transient and accident thermal-hydraulic evaluations and coordinate them with the broader risk-informed safety case.
• Set the minimum-DNBR using 95/95 Specified Acceptable Fuel Design Limits (SAFDL) and validate the CHF correlation basis.
• Manage fatigue and fracture margins in mechanical component design.
• Manage coupled neutronics and thermal-hydraulics feedback in close coordination with the Core Physics team.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal