Ben Lindley joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics as Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics in 2020. His current research spans nuclear reactor physics, advanced reactor design and integrated energy systems. Project partners include multiple national laboratories, advanced reactor vendors and EPRI. Current and new projects include: two new DOE-funded projects on reducing the cost of advanced nuclear reactors through design; integration of nuclear and solar energy integration for cogeneration of electricity and clean water, spanning design and computational methods development activities; Multiphysics modelling of the SNAP nuclear reactors; support to the Fast Modular Reactor with the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program; nuclear district heating; safety analysis of ATF concepts within Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program. Ben holds a joint faculty appointment at Argonne National Laboratory.
Please see lab website reti.ep.wisc.edu for more information.
Prior to joining the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ben was a senior nuclear engineer and reactor physicist at Jacobs (formerly Wood, Amec) in the UK (2014-2020). As Customer Liaison Manager and later ANSWERS Technical Director, Ben played a key role in the development and application of the ANSWERS UK industry standard radiation transport codes to current and next generation nuclear systems. In particular, Ben led the development of calculation methodologies for BWRs (in support of planned deployment of the ABWR by Hitachi/Horizon), SFRs (through the ESNII+ and ESFR-SMART Euratom projects) and Molten Salt Reactors. Ben also played a crucial role in the core physics design of the UKSMR. Ben has substantial experience in developing R&D programs and leading complex inter-disciplinary packages of work (up to several $M), including in the areas of digital engineering for nuclear reactors; fusion reactor simulation; and advanced reactor core & primary system design.
Ben holds a PhD in Nuclear Engineering and MEng & BA degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cambridge, UK (2007-2014), graduating top of class in the latter. He has previously spent time at Argonne National Laboratory (2013), the University of Michigan (2012) and AREVA Gmbh, Germany (2010).