Sodium Loop Engineer — High-Temp Test & Fill Facility

TerraPower; Wyoming (OH); On-site; USD 102,000 - 133,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Incentive payments

Medical benefits

Vision benefits

Dental benefits

Life and disability insurance

Parental leave

401k plan

PTO 21 days

Holidays 10

Job summary

TerraPower is seeking a Loop Engineer to drive the configuration, operation, and performance of high‑temperature sodium test loops supporting Natrium development. You will work with system engineers and operations to ensure safe, efficient tests with high data quality.

Responsibilities include refining loop configs, performing steady‑state/transient analyses, and developing procedures for startup/shutdown and abnormal events.

Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor's in Mechanical, Chemical, or Nuclear Engineering.
• 3–8 years in thermal-hydraulic systems or high-temperature loops.
• Strong understanding of fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and thermodynamics.
• Experience with system modeling tools (MATLAB, Modelica, or similar).
• Ability to perform engineering calculations with clear assumptions.
• Familiarity with P&IDs and equipment sizing.
• Strong problem-solving and cross-functional communication.

Responsibilities

• Refine sodium test loop configurations to represent Natrium operating conditions (flow, temperature, pressure, transients, and chemistry).
• Support P&ID development, equipment layout, and integration with facility utilities (power, inert gas, ventilation, fire protection, and safety systems).
• Perform steady-state and transient system analyses of sodium loops to define operating envelopes, setpoints, and test conditions.
• Calculate pressure drops, flow distribution, thermal profiles, and equipment performance margins based on loop configuration and test objectives.
• Support test matrix development, including definition of key parameters (flow, temperature, thermal cycling, upset conditions) and required measurement accuracy.
• Develop and maintain operating procedures, start-up and shutdown sequences, and abnormal event response for sodium loops.
• Provide engineering support to operations during test runs, including real-time assessment of loop performance and troubleshooting.
• Monitor loop parameters (sodium temperature, flow, level, pressure, oxygen/hydrogen content, cover gas conditions) for compliance with test plans and facility limits.
• Diagnose and resolve performance issues related to pumps, heaters, valves, instrumentation, and control logic in sodium service.
• Ensure sodium loop designs and operations comply with facility safety bases, hazard analyses, and applicable codes/standards.
• Support and/or perform hazard analyses, FMEA, and operating limit definition for sodium systems (e.g., leak scenarios, freeze/melt, over-temperature).
• Maintain configuration control of loop hardware, and software, including documentation of changes and formal review/approval processes.
• Contribute to development and maintenance of emergency procedures for sodium-related events and abnormal loop conditions.
• Define instrumentation needs for sodium loops (thermocouples, flow meters, pressure transducers, level sensors, chemistry probes, and cover gas measurements), including ranges, accuracies, and locations.
• Collaborate with data acquisition and controls staff to ensure reliable, time-synchronized data collection and appropriate sampling rates for transients.
• Validate and interpret test data, comparing results with analytical models and design expectations; identify discrepancies and support root-cause investigations.
• Prepare concise technical reports and presentations translating loop results into actionable input for Natrium systems, safety analysis, and design teams.
• Support vendor interactions for sodium-compatible equipment, defining test requirements and integration approaches.

Skills

Fluid mechanics

Heat transfer

Thermodynamics

Engineering calculations

Troubleshooting

Cross-functional communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Nuclear Engineering

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

MATLAB

Modelica

Job description

TerraPower is seeking a Loop Engineer to drive the configuration, operation, and performance of high‑temperature sodium test loops supporting Natrium development. You will work with system engineers and operations to ensure safe, efficient tests with high data quality.

Responsibilities include refining loop configs, performing steady‑state/transient analyses, and developing procedures for startup/shutdown and abnormal events.