Phil Oldham

The UTC SimCenter has partnered with the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge to research the movement and flow of toxins in the case of chemical warfare, officials announced Monday.

“This is an exciting day for all of us,” said Phil Oldham, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga provost. “We will work on projects of national significance.”

Through the partnership with Babcock and Wilcox Technical Services Y-12, the SimCenter, a center for computational engineering, will develop simulations of chemical releases that will show how toxins would move based on different variables such as wind, hills and buildings, said Dr. Dave Whitfield, director of the SimCenter.

There also will be joint projects on chemical processes, metal processing, safety and engineering, Dr. Whitfield said.

The SimCenter has one other partnership with B&W Y-12, which operates the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge for the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Along with stressing the significance that joint research projects will have in regard to national security, officials said the partnership saves research dollars.

“Modeling is becoming more and more important because there are fewer dollars out there to do research, development, test and evaluation,” said Randy Strickland, vice president and executive director of science, technology and partnerships at the Y-12 National Security Complex. “By utilizing the SimCenter’s advanced computing technologies, we’ll be able to save taxpayers money and increase safety.”

U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., said computer simulations are cost-effective and the new frontier of science.

“You don’t have to experiment with things when you can simulate them,” he said.