Research and Resources to Fuel the Future - NEXT Lab
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A bilene Chr isti a n Uni v er sit y
Fall-Winter 2021
Research and Resources
to Fuel the Future
NEXT Lab and STAR detector position ACU
on the frontier of groundbreaking science exploration
Alumni Awards Conquering COVID-19 WAC Moody Renovation Outlive Your Life Award
to fuel the future
Students and faculty in engineering, physics, chemistry and biochemistry
bring new opportunities to ACU, building on a legacy of research and excellence
S TO RY BY W EN DY K I LM ER • PH OTOG R A PH Y BY J EREM Y EN LOW
CU’s first physics department chair, and, more recently, bringing industry-changing
Dr. Charles Ivey (’65), joined the research opportunities to campus in Abilene
through the Nuclear Energy eXperimental Testing
faculty in 1969 as a 20-something,
Laboratory’s foray into the world of advanced
fresh out of a Ph.D. program at The University of
nuclear energy and the longtime work of the
Texas at Austin and with some unconventional
Atom Smashers research group in unraveling the
ideas about an undergraduate physics program.
mysteries of the building blocks of the universe.
His friend, Ray McGlothlin Jr. (’49), a member
and future chair of the ACU Board of Trustees,
had recruited him with the promise of building a
department from the ground up.
“We didn’t have to follow the path of other
next lab too good
to be true
As president of the university, Dr. Phil
departments; we could accelerate ourselves,” Schubert (’91) knew he shouldn’t pour cold water
Ivey said. “Instead of simply going to class and on the ideas of his faculty. But, realistically,
learning as an undergraduate, we went for a this was too good to be true. Wasn’t it?
model of ‘go to class, then go to the lab and do Dr. Rusty Towell (’90), professor and
research, then present and defend it in front of then-chair of the Department of Engineering and
peers.’ What I wanted to do, and what we did, is Physics, and his colleagues had presented a vision
get research grants, teach graduate-level material for building a molten salt reactor that would
Research engineer Jessica (Price ’20) Yerger and senior engineering in undergraduate classes, and bring really create safe, clean energy and had potential to cure
major Aline Ineza take a sample of molten salt at the NEXT Lab in high-quality physicists to become faculty.” cancer, help the environment and provide clean,
ACU’s Engineering and Physics Laboratories at Bennett Gymnasium. Those ambitious aims in the early days drinkable water.
shaped the department for the next half century, “I’d always heard the phrase ‘If it sounds too
taking students to the nation’s top laboratories good to be true, it probably is,’ and that’s where
2 3
Dr. Kim Pamplin (’91), Dr. Rusty Towell (’90) and Dr. Tim Head discuss strategy. Pamplin is
professor of chemistry and biochemistry; Towell is professor of engineering and physics,
and director of the NEXT Lab; and Head is professor and chair of engineering and physics.
that was where we began,” Towell was overcome by finding the right a decade before his “right time, right
said. “We started small, building a people, in the right places, at the place” encounter with Towell.
loop and a flow meter. We reached out right time. One of the first and “I had been working on things like
to engineers within our department perhaps most influential people this for close to 20 years,” Robison
and the Department of Chemistry was Doug Robison, J.D. said. “It was easy for me to see the
and Biochemistry, and said, ‘We want After getting the go ahead potential and importance of this
to build this program.’ We started from a still-skeptical Schubert, technology, knowing that we have
looking at nuclear energy. We knew Towell presented the NEXT Lab’s to, at some point, move on to the
we wanted to focus on building molten salt research reactor idea next form of energy production.
things, not just designing them.” to the President’s Venture Council, Non-renewables are nonrenewable
Molten salt reactors have long a group of ACU benefactors and for a reason. There’s a finite supply.
TOP RIGHT: Research engineer Vicente Rojas (’17), senior engineeering major Yves Ngenzi been dubbed “chemistry reactors.” entrepreneurs who provide funding Our current nuclear power is a great
and research engineer Jessica (Price ’20) Yerger insert a molten salt storage container into its That’s because their success for emerging opportunities outside source of energy, but there are issues
support frame. depends on understanding properties the normal budget. with it. This technology solves those
LEFT: A NEXT research student monitors thermal images of the Molten Salt Test Loop during operation. of corrosion, salt’s interaction with Towell had barely made it to issues. That’s what got me excited
anything it touches, the composition the back of the room after his about it and made it easy for me to
and purification of salt, and the types presentation when Robison pulled make that leap. I saw the fulfillment
on a regular basis with the question, Persistence paid off, even though and amounts of elements created by him aside and asked, “If you were of things I had been working on for
“What do you think about a molten Towell’s initial reaction was similar nuclear reactions. fully funded, what could you do?” well over a decade.”
salt reactor?” to Schubert’s. So involving ACU’s Department The question took Towell aback, Robison’s initial commitment
Ivey had heard about the molten “When I first looked into it, it of Chemistry and Biochemistry was but it was a genuine and natural came in the form of $3.2 million
salt reactor in its early days from seemed too good to be true,” Towell essential from the beginning. NEXT question for Robison. In addition to contributed through the Robison
Dr. Eugene Wigner, one of the said. “But I had a sabbatical coming Lab makes use of its equipment running an oil and gas exploration Excelsior Foundation in 2018, and in
pioneers of the technology and up, and I said I would use some of that and facilities, and partners with and production company at the that same year, molten salt flowed
a Nobel Prize-winning nuclear time to think about it. I learned about colleagues to assess the best set of forefront of the hydraulic fracturing through a test loop at NEXT Lab
physicist. Wigner visited The advanced reactors, did more reading, analysis tools. Two faculty and 10 revolution, Robison had served on the for the first time.
my thoughts immediately went,” students from the Department of Texas Energy Planning Council. He Any lingering skepticism lurking
University of Texas at Austin while attended conferences and talked to
Schubert admits. “I was skeptical Chemistry and Biochemistry are chaired its Energy Supply Committee in Schubert’s mind was disrupted by
Ivey was a doctoral student doing industry partners.”
that the picture they were painting on the NEXT Lab team. Their and spent a year conducting hearings a phone call to his office in 2018 from
graduate research, and the two met His sabbatical research
was reasonable.” department boasts a similar focus around the state about how to then-U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick
and had conversations about molten culminated in an 18-minute talk at
Still, he trusted their expertise on undergraduate research on and maximize energy production. Perry. The former Texas governor had
salt reactors. Although Ivey was the first TEDxACU event in 2015.
and instincts and wanted to support off campus, and through internships One of the major findings in his heard of the nuclear energy project
intrigued by the technology, he was The presentation quickly captured
their interests. around the nation. report? The only technology that and wanted to send someone from
in the midst of his own research, the attention of several people –
“I kept asking questions, and the NEXT also collaborates with exists to replace hydrocarbons is his office to ACU to learn more.
and the idea took a backseat until Ivey and Halbert, of course, but also
more I heard them describe it and saw faculty and students from the School nuclear. That was in 2004, more than “Wow,” was Schubert’s reaction.
his retirement. Jim Porter, G. Randy Nicholson (’59),
their excitement, I began to think, of Information Technology, computer
“When I retired, I wanted to stay Jack McGlothlin (’51), and Jack’s
‘Part of research is failure. Maybe it’s science, mathematics, accounting,
in Abilene and help students,” Ivey son, Shawn McGlothlin (’89) –
credible, maybe not, but it’ll be a good and advertising/public relations.
said. “And in doing some reading, I who were interested in funding and
experience for faculty and students,’ ”
saw the molten salt reactor subject supporting the idea. In 2016, ACU’s
Schubert said. “So I put aside whether
had come back up. I started talking to Nuclear Energy eXperimental
The Right People, the Right
it was realistic and said I’d try to help
Rusty and David Halbert, M.D. (’54). Testing Laboratory officially formed. Place, the Right Time
secure funding to get them
David had this round table The McGlothlins purchased the team From the start and throughout
out of the gate.”
in his kitchen, and we met a molten salt pump, and the group the process, Towell said the initial
Towell, now
at that table regularly for began learning what it means to melt skepticism of “too good to be true”
director of NEXT
the next year. I’d explain salt, how to work with it and where
Lab and professor
to him why this was so the current technology gaps were –
of engineering and
important: This is the way pieces such as a flow meter, pressure
physics, knew the feeling. It’s what Senior chemistry major Melissa Powell
we can clean up our environment, meters and level sensors. performs chemical analysis on a salt solution
kept him from seizing the idea
we can produce water, we can do all “Detectors and instrumentation with a flame atomic absorption spectrometer in
for a few years prior, even as Ivey, Onstead Science Center.
kinds of things. And I kept talking to are things ACU has been doing at
now a member of the department’s
Rusty about it.” national physics labs for years, so
Visiting Committee, peppered him
4 5
LEFT: Architectural rendering of the proposed Science and
Engineering Research Center (SERC) at ACU.
BELOW: Junior biochemistry major Benjamin Ash (left) and junior Perry’s office sent the nation’s consulting with legal experts, flow meter – and having a second
chemistry major Emma Bonamie work on a process to perform then-chief nuclear energy official, Robison landed on sponsored patent in the provisional stage.
chemical analysis of molten salt in Onstead Science Center.
Ed McGinnis, to Abilene to visit the research as the best solution and A second version of the salt test loop
newly formed NEXT Lab and hear formed Natura Resources, a for-profit was installed in the Engineering
from Towell and others about plans entity designed to be the funding and Physics Laboratories at Bennett
for the future. He was impressed instrument for the research. Gymnasium in January, and by early
and told Schubert as much. In 2020 Natura Resources summer 2021 the former Taylor
“He pulled me aside and said, announced funding of $30.5 million Elementary School gymnasium will
‘What your scientists are doing is to NEXTRA over the next three years, become the new home of research
amazing. This is what the U.S. needs with $21.5 million going to ACU and space to include a radiochemistry
to do. You are in exactly the sweet the remaining $9 million divided lab and a larger scale molten salt
spot of what needs to take place. among the other three universities. test system. Abilene ISD built a new
I’d like to get my whole team in a “Money is a tool,” Robison said. Taylor campus in northeast Abilene,
room and have you explain what “We all have some measure of time, and ACU purchased the original
you’re doing, so we can be engaged talent and treasure, and we’re going school property on the corner of
and advise you and proceed down to spend those accordingly – maybe East North 16th Street and Judge
this road. We believe this is really for good, maybe for bad – but we’re Ely Boulevard.
important,’ ” Schubert said. going to use them for something. Once funding is secured,
McGinnis made arrangements And I couldn’t think of many other ACU will break ground on a
for Robison, Schubert, Towell and things that could have as much 28,000-square-foot Science and
Dr. Tony Hill (’90) to meet with impact for good.” Engineering Research Center on
his team at the U.S. Department of The potential for good is the former Taylor property.
Energy in Washington. It was the explicit in the mission of NEXT Lab: The SERC is scheduled for
first of several trips the group would to provide global solutions to the completion in 2022 and will house
take to D.C., beginning the processes world’s most critical needs. the next iteration of molten salt test
of acquiring necessary materials “Ultimately, we want to advance system, allowing all the components
and seeking licensing through the liquid-fueled molten salt reactors to to be tested in full size before
Nuclear Regulatory Commission. address the world’s need for clean, constructing the actual research
All along, ACU’s planning and inexpensive and safe energy, water, reactor. This research facility
research wasn’t taking place in a silo; and medical isotopes to treat cancer,” will be the centerpiece of the
Towell, Ivey and Hill reached out to Towell said. “When thinking about renovation and development of
colleagues from other universities. the potential impact on the world, the former Taylor site.
They shared ideas, brainstormed and this project is like no other; its long-
looked at possibilities for lasting implications are A Whole Lot of Sense
collaboration. In 2018, amazing. To be part of The view in 2021 is a bit different
those plans formalized that is very exciting. than in the early days of dreaming
as Georgia Institute When I think about in 2015.
of Technology, Texas that goal of blessing “This has grown so quickly and
A&M University and the world through so big, it’s sometimes challenging
The University of Texas at Austin this technology and how it aligns for me to understand where we
joined ACU to form NEXTRA, the with ACU’s mission, it seems to be a are,” Towell said. “We now have 26
NEXT Research Alliance, with perfect match.” faculty and staff and 46 students
the goal to design, license and working on the project, just at ACU,
commission a molten-salt-cooled, Next Steps and more than 100 if you include
liquid-fueled research reactor to be In working toward the ultimate the other institutions. That sort of
hosted on or near ACU’s campus. goal, a significant intermediate one is rapid growth is something I never
Meanwhile, Robison undertook to complete construction of a molten envisioned as possible. But belief in
a different kind of research – salt research reactor by 2025. it by president Schubert and Doug
exploring the best way to fund To date, the NEXT Lab’s progress Robison, having their funding and
such work, beyond dependence includes having secured the first support, put us in this position.”
on governmental grants. After patent – for a high-temperature Schubert’s perspective has
6 7
The hot salt heats a second
fluid that causes a turbine
to produce electricity
Keaton Chance installs thermocouples
to monitor system temperatures.
Q&A: Understanding Fission heats
the salt in the
molten salt reactors reactor core Turbine
Extra heat
Where did this technology originate? from the
Liquid-fueled molten salt reactors are Heat exchangers secondary
Cancer-fighting fluid can
not a new idea, but the concept has been medical isotopes desalinate
dormant for some time. A successful research are produced water
program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the core and
in Tennessee was dedicated to this work can be removed
from 1958-76, and from it came important from the salt
advances in nuclear reactor research.
The objective was the development of
liquid-fueled molten salt reactors, and Emergency
this work successfully demonstrated “freeze plug” makes How does a reactor create clean
the reactor safe drinking water?
their viability.
Liquid-fueled molten salt reactors
If it was so successful, why didn’t Passively cooled operate at high temperatures that allow
it continue? salt dump tank
them to be efficient heat sources for industrial
The research program was canceled applications, including the production of
prematurely, not because the technology was synthetic fuels and desalination of water.
invalid or impractical, but for various non- Given that one in three people around the
scientific reasons, such as the development What size is the research reactor to be world suffer from a shortage of fresh water,
time and political, military and commercial housed at NEXT Lab? development of this technology can
issues. The primary developer paying for the The research reactor will be small, meet a fundamental global need.
original nuclear power plants was the U.S. roughly the shape of a cylinder 6 feet tall How do medical isotopes come into play?
Navy, which wanted the quickest path to and 5 feet in diameter. A small amount
deploying nuclear power for submarines. Radioisotope treatment and diagnostic
of low-enriched uranium-235 is the nuclear methods are common in a variety of clinical
Is it safe to have a nuclear research reactor fuel required, and it is only available through practices, including oncology, cardiology,
on a university campus? the U.S. Department of Energy. It is not hematology, urology and nephrology.
high-enriched uranium used by the military Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) and bismuth-213
Yes. Nuclear power in western countries
for making weapons. (Bi-213) are two radiopharmaceuticals
enjoys the best safety record in the world,
and the improvements in liquid-fueled molten Are there reactors on other that show great promise, especially for
salt research reactors provide significant university campuses? cancer treatment.
safety enhancements. Yes, reactors at other universities have Mo-99 is in high demand because of its
It’s impossible for a molten salt reactor been safely located for years in urban areas. applications in radiodiagnostic procedures
to cause a nuclear explosion and release of There are 31 research or test reactors in the that allow doctors to make diagnoses quickly
harmful radiation. The use of low-pressure U.S., including three in Texas. The one on the without the need for an invasive procedure.
coolants removes the largest single risk campus of The University of Texas at Austin Bi-213 has opened doors for targeted alpha
from current nuclear plants. The use of is the newest in the nation, having been built therapy, used to kill dispersed cancers such
liquid fuel allows for a drain in the bottom in the 1990s. Another in a densely populated as leukemia and lymphoma. This provides a
of the small reactor. major city is in Boston at Massachusetts new treatment option, one that would spare
If anything were to go wrong with the Institute of Technology. patients from chemotherapy, and in limited
plant, the fuel and coolant would drain to a Others are at universities in California, trials it has been effective.
passively cooled sub-critical storage location Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Bi-213 and Mo-99 are both formed most
where the salt would then solidify, safely Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, New efficiently in the natural nuclear processes
containing all of the fuel and radioactive York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, inside a liquid-fueled molten salt reactor.
fission fragments. Washington and Wisconsin.
expanded as well, from an idea that incredible excellence in the at ACU – being God’s hands and feet
was “too good to be true” to a project Department of Engineering and in the world. For those reasons, this
that makes too much sense to Physics for 30-plus years,” he said. just makes a whole lot of sense.”
pass up. “And now we’re looking at pushing
“This work extends from forward to provide basic needs of Visit acunextlab.org to learn more
an existing area of competency humanity. I can’t think of anything
and strength – our longstanding that fits better with what we’re about
8 9
LEFT: Research chemist Alli Mae Berry (’19) examines the
torch from an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer.
ABOVE: Michael Ranger works on the remote control and
data acquisition system for the molten salt test loop in
Bennett Lab.
10 11
ACU Box 28208, Abilene, Texas 79699-8208
next@acu.edu • acunextlab.org • 325-674-2515
This feature article was first published as pages 6-12 in the Fall-Winter 2021 issue of ACU Today.
To view the issue in its entirety, visit issuu.com/abilenechristian.
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