Key Takeaways
- The University of Houston has been selected by the Department of Energy to lead a nearly $750,000 research project using artificial intelligence to accelerate the design of next-generation nuclear and fusion energy systems.
- The interdisciplinary project combines AI, engineering and advanced physics to create faster, more accurate computer models that could help advance reliable, carbon-free energy technologies.
- The award builds on UH’s growing leadership in AI and energy innovation, bringing together world-class researchers, national laboratory partners and cutting-edge technologies to address some of the nation’s most complex energy challenges.
The University of Houston has been selected by the US. Department of Energy (DOE) to lead a nearly $750,000 collaborative research project that will harness AI to accelerate the design of next-generation nuclear and fusion energy systems.
Funded through the DOE’s Genesis Mission, the project brings together researchers from UH, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the University of Pennsylvania to develop AI-powered engineering tools capable of dramatically reducing the time needed to model complex heat-transfer systems critical to advanced nuclear reactors and future fusion technologies.
By combining AI with the fundamental laws of physics, UH-led research aims to improve the accuracy and speed of computer models used to accelerate the development of reliable, carbon-free energy technologies.
Where AI Meets Energy Innovation
AI is rapidly transforming scientific discovery, and UH is applying its growing expertise to solve some of the most challenging problems in advanced energy systems.
The project, led by Myoungkyu Lee, a professor at UH’s Cullen College of Engineering, focuses on molten salts, whose unique characteristics make it uniquely suited for applications in energy production and storage technologies like nuclear reactors and hybrid energy systems. The goal for the project, titled “Physics-Informed AI Surrogates for Turbulent Forced Convection in Energy Systems,” is to develop a faster, more reliable AI tool that predicts how heat moves through the turbulent liquid coolants used in advanced nuclear-fission reactors and future fusion systems.
“Molten salts are attractive for several advanced reactor and fusion blanket concepts but are also among the hardest ones to model,” Lee said. “Today’s standard engineering tools were developed for fluids like water and air, and can significantly misjudge heat flow in molten salts. The most accurate simulations are too computationally expensive for everyday design work, so engineers currently bridge the gap with conservative safety margins. Our research aims to cut down the guesswork in an effort to cut conserve energy and cut costs.”
In collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and University of Pennsylvania, researchers will develop several highly detailed simulations to create training data, then teach an AI-assisted model to reproduce those results much faster. Unlike many AI systems, this model would still be required to follow the actual laws of fluid flow and heat transfer and would flag areas where its predictions may be unreliable.
“The goal is to develop a tool that runs much faster than today’s most detailed simulations while keeping errors small,” Lee said. “If successful, the approach could support better heat-transfer predictions for molten-salt reactor design and provide a starting point for studying heat removal in fusion blankets. This is one contribution among many toward reliable, carbon-free energy.”
UH’s Continued Leadership in Research & Innovation
The award adds to UH’s growing portfolio of energy research, and the broader commitment to bringing together world-class researchers, cutting-edge technologies and collaborative partnerships with industry, government agencies and laboratories to advance AI applications across energy, engineering, manufacturing, and other critical industries.
This latest award further strengthens UH’s leadership in energy innovation.
“Being part of this effort will continue to solidify UH’s role as The Energy University,” said Ramanan Krishnamoorti, Vice President for Energy and Innovation at UH. “”
“This project combines some of UH’s greatest assets – our leadership in energy and engineering, our world-class research, and our national partnerships,” said Ramanan Krishnamoorti, Vice President for Energy and Innovation at UH. “Our faculty are at the forefront of discoveries and innovations that will change how we perceive energy systems for decades to come.”
By the Numbers
- $180,000 awarded to UH
- $380,000 awarded to LLNL
- $190,000 awarded to UPenn