Epperson Engineering, PA

Kenny Epperson is a 1984 graduate of N.C. State with a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering.  He has over 30 years in the nuclear industry working for utility companies including Virgina Power, Duke Energy as well as with EPRI. 

Kenny is a licensed professional engineer in three states (NC,SC,VA).

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My name is Kenny Epperson.  I am a seasoned engineer with over thirty years experience in the commercial nuclear power industry.  My background includes six years in a two unit nuclear station combined with over twenty years of thermal-hydraulic design and analyses work.  I have the unique experience of being involved in all aspects of the commercial nuclear power industry; from being a NRC licensed Senior Reactor Operator to core design activities to working closely with multiple vendors on fuel assembly design and analyses. 

My main area of expertise is in thermal-hydraulic analyses and modeling work.  I am very knowledgeable with development, approval, and implementation of NRC licensed methodology for thermal-hydraulic analyses of core reload fuel cycles for PWRs.  Furthermore, I am intimately familiar with the VIPRE-01 thermal-hydraulic code.  The VIPRE-01 code is a significant tool for core subchannel thermal hydraulic analyses, including core performance predictions and departure from nucleate boiling (DNB).  I was involved in design and analysis work for four fuel transitions. Two of these transitions were from initial design concepts to batch implementation.  As part of this effort, I managed the implementation of two Lead Test Assembly (LTA) programs. 

As a utility engineer, I co-developed an Axial Offset Anomaly (AOA) or Crud Induced Power Shift (CIPS) risk assessment methodology with VIPRE-01.  This was the first explicit industry method for AOA/CIPS risk calculations for core designs.  Subsequent to this, I assisted in application methodology development of a new code, the Boron Offset Anomaly (BOA) code.  This code employs an all inclusive approach utilizing core thermal duty, system corrosion performance, and primary chemistry to assess cycle designs for AOA/CIPS risk.  This tool can also be used to evaluate system chemistry changes like zinc injection.  The BOA code is a state of the art tool for evaluating core designs to maximize fuel cycle cost savings and increase operating flexibility while minimizing risk. 

I am involved in the nuclear industry "Zero Fuel Defects by 2010" initiative, an industry wide program to eliminate all fuel failures in light water reactors.   I participated in developing the PWR Fuel Cladding and Corrosion Guideline as well as reviewed industry operation experience to identify ways to improve fuel performance. I am part of a development team to create a crud deposition computer code for Boiling Water Reactors (BWR).   This was the first application of a subchannel thermal-hydraulic code for BWR normal operating conditions.  The code calculates a 3-D mass evaporation profile for individual fuel rods in a bundle and includes metal corrosion product deposition.