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Ieeerusb

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Ieeerusb, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

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We are seeking a skilled and motivated mechanical design engineer to join our molten salt fabrication team. This hands-on role involves designing and prototyping systems, components and structure associated with halide salt production, working directly with high-temperature molten salts, operating specialized equipment, building custom salt machinery and equipment and generally supporting industrial-scale production of molten salt products.

The ideal candidate will have extensive design and fabrication experience, capacity for mechanical analyses including but not limited to stress distribution, vibration, fatigue and other failure modes, pressure, and thermal shock. They must also be comfortable working in both laboratory and industrial environments with high-temperature systems and have experience building components and structures, recording data, communicating results through both oral and written communication, designing and implementing a variety of tests on structural components and systems, and managing buildouts of industrial processes. A PE license is highly preferred.

Key Responsibilities

Molten Salt Handling

Work in a multidisciplinary team to install and operate a high temperature molten salt fabrication processes.

Design and prototype systems, structures, and components of molten salt fabrication facilities.

Work with a team to complete complex tasks and accurately characterize results.

Assist in HAZOP reviews and ECM of the process equipment.

Set up, operate, and maintain high-temperature industrial equipment.

Operate, maintain, and repair inert atmosphere glove boxes.

Qualifications Required:

Bachelors or masters degree in mechanical engineering plus 10+ years of industry experience

CSWP or proven competency in CAD.

Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.

Strict adherence to laboratory and industrial safety and chemical safety protocols.

Experience designing, prototyping, and troubleshooting a variety of mechanical components

Ability to wear full-body personal protective equipment (PPE) properly for 90 minutes at a time.

Preferred:

Candidates with a PE license that can sign off on engineering designs.

Certifications for CAD or similar drawing/design software.

Experience with a variety of machining and fabrication methods/techniques.

Familiarity with laboratory and industrial software/data systems.

Core Technical Skills Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

Nonlinear thermal-structural coupling

Creep, fatigue, and plastic deformation modeling

Transient thermal cycling simulation

Experience with ANSYS Mechanical, Abaqus, or COMSOL Multiphysics

Stress & Fatigue Analysis

High-cycle and low-cycle fatigue under thermal gradients

Ratcheting, creep-fatigue interaction, and hold-time effects

Use of ASME Section VIII Division 2 fatigue methods

Life prediction per API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 (Fitness for Service)

Pressure Vessel & High-Temperature Design

Detailed knowledge of ASME Section VIII Div. 1 & Div. 2

Familiarity with Section II (Materials), Section IX (Welding Qualifications), and Section V (NDE)

Design by Analysis (DBA) per ASME Div. 2 Part 5

Experience with allowable stress extrapolation beyond tabulated temperature ranges

Materials Engineering

Metallurgy of nickel alloys, Hastelloy, Inconel, and stainless steels

Corrosion and embrittlement mechanisms in fluoride or chloride molten salts

Grain growth, creep, and sensitization at sustained high temperatures

Ability to interpret creep rupture data and Larson-Miller parameters

Thermal-Mechanical Systems Analysis

Heat-transfer modeling (conduction, convection, and radiation)

Transient startup/shutdown cycle modeling

Thermal stress due to gradients and local discontinuities

Coupled CFD-FEA simulation for localized hotspots

Failure Modes and Life Prediction

Experience with fatigue crack growth (Paris Law) and fracture mechanics

Corrosion-assisted cracking and creep rupture models

Development of inspection intervals based on damage accumulation

Analytical & Computational Expertise

Proficiency in Python/Matlab for life-cycle modeling or custom material property interpolation

Knowledge of ASME allowable stress extrapolation for non-listed materials or extended temperature ranges

Statistical reliability and uncertainty quantification (Monte Carlo, probabilistic FEA)

Familiarity with high-temperature design codes (ASME Section III, RCC-MRx, or HBB for nuclear applications)

Bonus Skills

Familiarity with Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) or Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) vessels

Experience with salt chemistry control, oxygen getters, and corrosion mitigation

Knowledge of weld metallurgy and post-weld heat treatment at elevated temperatures

Thermal insulation system design and finite-volume heat-flux evaluation

Work Environment

Exposure to high temperatures, chemical handling, and in-glovebox operations.

Full-body personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn as required.

Training will be provided for specific procedures and equipment operation.

Compensation and Benefits

Benefits and Competitive salary commensurate with experience.

Paid time off and professional development opportunities.

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