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Elmer E. Lewis
Professor

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Northwestern University
2145 Sheridan Road, Rm. A213
Evanston, IL 60208-3111, USA

TEL: 847-491-3579
FAX: 847-491-3915

e-lewis@northwestern.edu

BS Engineering Physics, University of Illinois(1960)
MS Nuclear Engineering, University of Illinois(1962)
PhD Nuclear Engineering, University of Illinois(1964)

Biographical sketch
Publications list

Honors and Awards

  • Distinguished Service Award, American Nuclear Society, Mathematics & Computation Division
  • Arthur Holly Compton Award, American Nuclear Society
  • American Nuclear Society Fellow

Research: Radiation transport; reliability and risk analysis

Professor Lewis' research includes combining finite element with other methods for the solution of the Boltzmann equation for radiation transport problems in six-dimensional space-angle-energy phase space. Applications range from radiative heat transfer to the simulation of neutron transport in nuclear reactor cores.  His current investigations are focused on neutron transport methods for treating the complex interactions between fuel-coolant lattices structures and more global effects in large power reactor cores. Under investigation are hybrid finite element and finite subelement formulations for treating spatial variables, tailored spherical harmonic expansions in angle, space-angle-energy adaptive grid algorithms, and response matrix solution methods for parallel computers.

In the classroom

Currently, Professor Lewis teaches courses in heat transfer and reliability engineering. He is also an instructor for the freshman sequence, Engineering Design and Communication. Four textbooks have resulted from his teaching and research;

E. E. Lewis, Nuclear Power Reactor Safety, John Wiley & Son New York, 1977, 630 pp.

E. E. Lewis & W. F. Miller Jr., Computational Methods of Neutron Transport, John Wiley & Son New York, 1984, 401 pp. (Republished by Am. Nucl. Soc. 1993)

E. E. Lewis, Introduction to Reliability Engineering, John Wiley & Son New York, 1987, 400 pp. (second edition 1995)

E. E. Lewis, Fundamentals of Nuclear Reactor Physics,  Academic Press/Elsevier. Burlington, MA. (in press)

His most recent book is written for the general public, and particularly for students considering engineering careers:

Masterworks of Technology: The Story of Creative Engineering, Architecture and Design, Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY, 2004, 315 pp.

 

Selected publications

E. E. Lewis, “Second-Order Neutron Transport Methods,” Nuclear Computational Science: A Century in Review, Yousry Y. Azmy & Enrico Sartori Editors, Kluwer Academic Pub.:  in press

E. E. Lewis, M. A. Smith and G. Palmiotti), “A New Paradigm for Whole Core NeutronTransport Without Homogenization,”  Proc. Joint Int. Mtg. Mathematics and Computation and Supercomputing for Nuclear Applications, Monterey Calif. April 15-19, 2007

G. Palmiotti, M. Smith, C. Rabiti, M. LeclereD. Kaushik, A. Siegel,   B. Smith and E. E. Lewis, “UNÌC: Ultimate Neutronic Investigation Code” Proc. Joint Int. Mtg. Mathematics and Computation and Supercomputing for Nuclear Applications, Monterey Calif. April 15-19, 2007.

E. E. Lewis, M. A. Smith and G. Palmiotti, “Quasi-reflected Interface Conditions for Variational Nodal Lattice Calculations,” Proc. PHYSOR_2004 : Int. Tpg. Mtg. Adv. in Nuclear Analysis and Simulation,  Vancouver, Sept.  10-14. 2006 

M. A. Smith E. E. Lewis and Byung-Chang Na, “Benchmark on Deterministic 3-D MOX Fuel Assembly Transport Calculations without Spatial Homogenization,” Progress Nucl. Energy, 48, 383-393, 2006

Hui Zhang and E. E. Lewis  “Generalization of the Variational Nodal Method to Spherical Harmonics Approximations in R-Z Geometry."Nucl. Sci. & Eng. 152, 29 (2006)

S. Van Creikingen, E. E. Lewis and R. Beauwens,  “Mixed-Hybrid Transport Discretization Using Even and Odd PN Expansions,”  Nuc. Sci.& Eng.  152, 149 (2006)

M. A. Smith, E. E. Lewis, and Byung-Chan Na,  Benchmark on Deterministic Transport Calculations Without Spatial Homogenization: MOX Fuel Assembly 3-D Extension Case,  Nuclear Energy Agency, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development,  NEA/NSC/DOC(2005) 16

W. S. Yang, M. A. Smith, G. Palmiotti, and E. E. Lewis, “Interface Conditions for Spherical Harmonics Methods,”  Nucl. Sci. Eng. 150, 257 (2005)

E. E. Lewis, M. A. Smith, G. Palmiotti,  “The Variational Nodal Method: Some History and Recent Activity,”  Proc. Int. Tpcl. Mtg.  Mathematics and Computation, Supercomputing, Reactor Physics and Nuclear Biological Applications,  Avignon, France, Sept. 12-15, 2005, Commissariat a ‘Energie Atomique (CEA), 2005

M. A. Smith, G. Palmiotti and E. E. Lewis,  “Argonne National Laboratory Results for the OECD 3-D MOX Fuel Assembly Benchmark,”  Proc. Int. Tpcl. Mtg.  Mathematics and Computation, Supercomputing, Reactor Physics and Nuclear Biological Applications,  Avignon, France, Sept. 12-15, 2005, Commissariat a ‘Energie Atomique (CEA), 2005

M. A. Smith, G. Palmiotti , E. E. Lewis  and N. Tsoulfanidis, “An Integral Form of the Variational Nodal Method”  Nucl. Sci. & Eng. 146, 141 (2004).

M. A. Smith, G. Palmiotti, E. E. Lewis and N. Tsoulfanidis, "An Integral Form of the Variational Nodal Method" Nucl. Sci. & Eng. 146, 141-149, (2004)

Hui Zhang & E. E. Lewis, "The Variational Nodal Method in R-Z Geometry." Proc. PHYSOR_2004 Tpg. Mtg on the Physics of Fuel Cycles and Advanced Nuclear Systems: Global Developments, Chicago, April 25-29, 2004 

S. Van Criekingen, E. E. Lewis & R. Beauwens, "Mixed-Hybrid Methods for the Linear Transport Equation," Proc. PHYSOR_2004 Tpg. Mtg on the Physics of Fuel Cycles and Advanced Nuclear Systems: Global Developments, Chicago, April 25-29, 2004

M. A. Smith, G. Palmiotti & E. E. Lewis, First-Order Spherical Harmonics Formulation Capable of Treating Low Density and Void Regions within the Framework of VARIANT'' Proc. PHYSOR_2004 Tpg. Mtg on the Physics of Fuel Cycles and Advanced Nuclear Systems: Global Developments, Chicago, April 25-29, 2004

M. A. Smith, E. E. Lewis and Byung-Chan Na, “ Benchmark on Deterministic 2-D MOX Fuel Assembly Transport Calculations without Spatial Homogenization,” Prog. Nucl. Energy, 45, 107-118 (2004)

E. E. Lewis, "The Variational Nodal Method: History & Recent Accomplishments," Proc. International Joint Meeting LAS/ANS-SNM-SMSR, Cancun, Q. R. Mexico, 2004

E. E. Lewis, "Much Ado about Nothing, "Response Matrices for Void Regions, Ann Nucl. Energy, 31, 2025-2037 (2004)       

M. A. Smith, N. Tsoulfanidis, E. E. Lewis, G. Palmiotti, and T. A. Taiwo, “A Finite Subelement Generalization of the Variational Nodal Method,” Nucl. Sci. Eng. 144, 36 (2003).

E. E. Lewis, M. A. Smith & Byung-Chan Na, "Recent Benchmarking Experience of the OECD/NEA Experts Group on Three-Dimensional Radiation Transport," Proc. Int. Conf. Supercomputing in Nuclear Applications, Paris, France, Sept 22-24, 2003

H. Zhang & E. E. Lewis, "Spatial Adaptivity Applied to the Variational Nodal Pn Equations," Nucl. Sci. & Eng. 142, 1-7 (2002)

M. A. Smith, N. Tsoulfanidis, E. E. Lewis, G. Palmiotti & T. A. Taiwo, " A Finite Subelement Generalization of the Variational Nodal Method," Nucl. Sci. & Eng 144, 36-46 (2002)

M. A. Smith, N. Tsoulfanidis, E. E. Lewis, G. Palmiotti and T. A. Taiwo, "Results for the G5G7 Benchmark Problem," Proc. Int. Conf.: Frontiers of Nuclear Technology: Reactor Physics, Safety and High-Performance Computing, Seoul, Korea, Oct 7-10,2002