Urmimala Shome

Education Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and minor in Environmental Engineering, May 2005

Experience Westinghouse Electric Company, San Jose, CA Apr 2008-June 2010

Radiological Consequences Analyst, Containment & Radiological Analysis (CRA), Safety Analysis & Licensing group, Engineering Services division

Primarily perform computer simulations of design basis accident scenarios, calculating the amount of radiological releases to the atmosphere to determine compliance with regulatory requirements in both U.S. Pressurized Water Reactors and Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) power plants.

Computer simulations are performed with the industry code, RADTRAD (RADionuclide Transport and Removal And Dose Estimation) which is used to calculate occupational radiation exposures, typically in the control room; to estimate site boundary doses; and to estimate dose attenuation due to modification of a facility or accident sequence.

ProjectsSouth Texas Project Units 3 & 4
Performed several Radiological Consequences analyses for a first of a kind ABWR engineering effort in the U.S. to determine the feasibility of meeting regulatory compliance
Calculated on-site control room and technical support center, and off-site doses as a result of design basis accidents.
Responded to various Requests for Additional Information (RAI) from the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) regarding this first of a kind methodology.

Seabrook Unit 1(NextEra, formerly Florida Power & Light, FPL)
Performed a thermal-hydraulic analysis of a steam generator tube rupture (SGTR) accident at full power
Determined the feasibility of margin to overfill for the ruptured SG, whereby sufficient margin precludes irradiated steam release to the atmosphere
Performed various sensitivity studies to determine the feasibility of modifying operator action times to mitigate radiological releases.

Accident Analyst, LOCA Integrated Services (LIS) team, Systems & Safety Analysis group, Engineering Services division (Monroeville, PA) June 2005-April 2008

Primarily perform computer simulations of postulated accident scenarios that result from the loss of reactor coolant (referred to as loss of coolant accidents or LOCAs) in U.S. Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) power plants for the purpose of demonstrating compliance with regulatory requirements.

Computer simulations involve inputting plant specific parameters into highly specialized, one-dimensional general network codes that are capable of performing calculations of thermal non-equilibrium in fluid volumes, using flow regime-dependent drift flux models, mixture level tracking logic, and regime-dependent heat transfer correlations.

ProjectsVogtle Units 1 and 2 (Southern Nuclear Operating Company, SNOC)
Performed LOCA analysis to demonstrate successful regulatory compliance as a result of plant modifications in the ECCS.
A throttle valve position change within the piping of the emergency safety injection system of the plant resulted in reduced coolant flow rates in the event of a LOCA.
Through detailed negotiations with the customer, modified flow rates were calculated to achieve specified safety margin in the event of a worst case accident situation, while still meeting the needs of proposed modifications.

Electricit de France (EdF) 900 MWe reactors
Performed several LOCA analyses to technically support the successful implementation of a new Westinghouse zirconium-oxide fuel cladding product called ZIRLOTM in EdF 900 MWe reactors.
The simulation modeled the complete severing of an integral pipe within the plant Reactor Coolant System (RCS) during full power operating conditions.
Provided extensive technical support to the customer during their effort to license this product, through approval of the French nuclear regulatory authority.


RolesPlant Cognizant Engineer (Byron & Braidwood Units 1 & 2)
Point of contact within the LIS (LOCA Integrated Services) group to respond to any customer questions/comments from the Byron and Braidwood plants (Exelon Generation Company).
Coordinate the focal point of any LIS work by being cognizant of Byron and Braidwood plants licensing basis, fuel reload schedules, recent/past analysis work with Westinghouse, and interaction with the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission).

Activities North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NA-YGN)
Involved in out-reach programs that educate middle and high school students about nuclear science and technology.

Women in Nuclear (WIN)
Developed and implemented a Westinghouse chapter WIN scholarship to encourage female college applicants to pursue an education in science and/or engineering.

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Involved with organizing information sessions about the recent resurgence of nuclear energy, and working jointly with Westinghouse IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) members to unite industry professionals in this endeavor.

Awards 2007 Company-level George Westinghouse Signature Award
- Part of a team that worked on the Electricit de France (EdF) Next Generation Fuel Design, LOCA
Analysis, and Licensing project.
- This award is given as recognition of improving customer intimacy, operational excellence, and
technology leadership in developing new technologies and operational processes.