Magdi Ragheb

Education

• University of Wisconsin, Madison, Ph.D., Nuclear Engineering/Computer Sciences, 1978
• University of Wisconsin, Madison, M.Sc., Nuclear Engineering, 1974
• University of Alexandria, Undp-Unesco, M.Sc., Nuclear Engineering, Science Centre for Postgraduate Studies, 1973
• University of Alexandria, B.Sc., Nuclear Engineering, 1970

Academic Positions

• 1986 - present, Associate Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering
• 1985 -1987. Faculty Visitor, Interdisciplinary Research Center, National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• 1979-1986, Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering

Major Consulting Activities

• Fusion Research Program, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison. Joint work on blanket and shield design of contemplated fusion reactors designs.
• Department of Nuclear Engineering, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York. Three-dimensional neutronics and photonics studies of high-temperature fusion blankets for process heat and synthetic fuels production. Development of Monte Carlo calculational techniques.
• Imagineering Ltd., Minnetonka, Minnesota. Measurement of Plasma Ion Density and or Temperature Profiles in Near Term Fusion Ignition Experiments.
• Illinois Power Company, Clinton Power Plant, Clinton, Illinois. Development of Computerized Technical Specifications and Limiting Conditions System based on Artificial Intelligence Concepts.
• Imagineering Ltd., Minnetonka, Minnesota. Particle Transport for High Resolution Industrial Neutron Tomography of Thick Structures.
• Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety, State of Illinois, Springfield, Illinois. Development of System for Emergency Response Analysis based on Artificial Intelligence Concepts.
• O'Donnell and Associates, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Shielding Studies in Support of the SP-100 Space Power Reactor Program.
• Applications Department, Cray Research Inc., Mendota Heights, Minnesota. Development of Artificial Intelligence Concepts on Supercomputers with application to the Safety Analysis of Nuclear Power plants. The first general-purpose Inference Engine using forward and backward chaining to be installed on a Cray Supercomputer was developed by M. Ragheb.
• Inference Corp., Los Angeles, CA, University Advisory Committee, Joint Research on Artificial Intelligence Applications in Education and Research.
• Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), Computer Application Division, Idaho Falls, Idaho

Research Interests

• Generalized Formulation of Monte Carlo Estimators over Terminating Markov Chains
• Dissociating Gases for Fusion Reactors cooling
• A new fusion fuel cycle: TT Fusion
• Knowledge Engineering Tools for the conduct of Monte Carlo Shielding Calculations and the interpretation of shielding experiments.
• Implementation of Knowledge Engineering Methodologies on Supercomputers with application to Nuclear Reactor Safety Analysis.
• Computer Simulation of Particle Transport in Fast-Neutron Cancer Therapy.
• Consultation Aid on a Distributed System of Symbolic-Processing Machines and Supercomputers for faster-than-real-time nuclear reactors accidents monitoring and simulation.
• Decision Aid System for Emergency Preparedness based on Knowledge Engineering Concepts.
• Fuzzy Logic and Possibility Theory for machine learning using analogy and decision-making under uncertainty.
• Numerical Modelling of Thermal-Hydraulics and Reactor Transient Phenomena
• Coupled Probabilistic-Possibilistic Methodologies for Fault Diagnosis
• Engineering Anticipatory Systems Synthesis and Genetic Algorithms

Selected Articles in Journals

• Luo, N., Ragheb, M. and G. H. Miley, "Proton bremsstrahlung and its radiation effects in fusion reactors," Fusion Engineering and Design, v 85(1), pp 39-45 (2010).
• Ragheb, M. and K. Toukan, "Development of Desalination Technology using Nuclear Power and Conventional Methods," ASTA Meeting, Ritz-Carlton, Oct. 16, Chicago (Oct. 1992).
• Ragheb, M., G. W. Lee and O. Uluyol, "Boolean and Fuzzy Logic for Symbolic and Conventional Systems," Proc. American Power Conference, 54th Annual Meeting, April 13-15, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Il (1992).
• Ragheb, M. and G. W. Lee, "Synthesis of Insightful Algorithms," Proc. Eighth Power Plant Dynamics Control and Testing Symposium," Knoxville, Tennessee, (May 27-29, 1992).
• Shaheen, M. and M. Ragheb, "Anomolous Deuteran to Hydrogen Ratio in Naturally Occurring Fission Reactions and the Possibility of Deuteran Dosentegration," Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Articles Vol. 158, No. 2, 323-342 (1992).
• Hora, H., L. Cicchitelli, G. H. Miley, M. Ragheb, A. Scharmann, and W. Scheid, "Plasma and Surface Tension Model for Explaining the Surface Effect of Tritium Generation at Cold Fusion," IL Nuovo Cimento, 12D, 3, 393-393 (1990).
• Ragheb, M. and G. H. Miley, "Deuteron Disintegration in Condensed Media," Workshop on Cold Fusion Phenomena, May 1989; Journal of Fusion Energy, 9, 41, 429-436 (1990).

Patents

• Dr. M. Ragheb implemented the first Knowledge Engineering Analysis System on a Cray Supercomputer in 1985. "HAL-1985" is an analysis system (production system) based on the Rule-Based-System Paradigm. This problem-solving paradigm is the most popular one in Knowledge Engineering, the part of Artificial Intelligence specialized in building Expert Systems. The latest version HAL-1986 is listed in the Cray's software directory. Portable Standard Lisp (PSL) was implemented by M. Ragheb and W. Anderson from Los Alamos National Laboratory on the Univ. of Illinois Cray X-MP in Jan. of 1986. This analysis system uses both Backward-Chaining and Forward Chaining. The Inference Engine uses a deduction-oriented antecedent-consequent logic. It is implemented on a Cray-X-MP advanced large-scale and high-speed multiprocessor system for Scientific Applications. The programming language used is PSL (Portable Standard LISP). The Inference Engine is general and can accommodate general modifications and additions to the Knowledge Base. The Knowledge Base: "SAFETY", currently includes a system for the diagnosis of abnormal situations in Nuclear Reactor Safety Analysis. The Knowledge Box uses a goal tree (AND/0R tree) for representation.

Magazine Articles

• 8. Ragheb, M., "HAL-1989, Version 2.0," Applications Software Librarian, Applications Dept., Cray Research Inc., 1333 Northland Drive, Mendota Heights, MN 55409.
• *7. Ragheb, M., Associate Editor, "Deep Penetration: Problems and Methods of Solution," Preface, Special Section, Nucl. Technol./Fusion, 5, 69-137 (1984).

Journal Editorships

• Guest Editor, Special Section, "Deep Penetration: Problems and Methods of Solution," Nuclear Technology Kunon, 5, (1984).

Professional Societies

• Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society - Member
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) - Member
• Fusion Energy Division, American Nuclear Society - Member
• Radiation Protection and Shielding Division, American Nuclear Society- Program Committee Member

Service on College Committees

• College of Engineering Registration and Student Advisement Comm., 1990-

Recent Courses Taught

• NPRE 402 - Nuclear Power Engineering
• NPRE 457 - Safety Anlys Nucl Reactor Syst
• NPRE 475 - Wind Power Systems
• NPRE 498 ESG (NPRE 498 ESO, NPRE 498 ESU) - Energy Storage Systems
• NPRE 498 ESG (NPRE 498 ESU, NPRE 498 ONL) - Energy Storage