Public Forum

Moderated by Dr. Thomas Sanders, ANS National President

Stamps Auditorium, UM North Campus, see parking map

Saturday, April 10th, 2:00 - 3:30pm

The Public Forum will be a town hall style discussion about nuclear energy. This event, which will also be open to the general public, provides the audience a format to ask questions to a panel of experts regarding issues about nuclear power. Nuclear Energy has gained recognition in the national discourse as a viable and alternative source to produce energy. However, there are several unanswered questions of interest to the public regarding the licensing process at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, issues with non-proliferation, the day-to-day operations, the science behind the technology, safety, and nuclear spent fuel. The student conference has taken this excellent opportunity to assemble a panel of experts in their respective fields to provide answers and information. The audience is encouraged to participate.

Panelists:

• Regulatory: Cynthia D. Pederson, Deputy Regional Administrator (NRC)cc
• Industry: Jack Davis, Chief Nuclear Officer (DTE)
• Research: Dr. Harold McFarlane, Deputy Associate Laboratory Director for Nuclear Programs (INL)
• Nonproliferation: Steve Mladineo, National Security Directorate (PNL)

Mentoring Lunch *This event is FULL, do not register for it!*

Friday, April 9th, 12:00pm-1:00pm

The Mentoring Lunch is an opportunity for students and professionals to network and discuss career paths during a buffet lunch. It will be located in the Eagle Crest Golf Clubhouse overlooking beautiful Ford Lake. Approximately 50 students and up to 50 mentors will attend the lunch (pre-registration required). Table seating will be assigned according to interests of attendees.

Professional Women in ANS and Women in Nuclear Mixer

Thursday 5:30-6:30pm, Sponsored by Duke Energy

The Professional Women in ANS (PWANS) and Women in Nuclear (WiN) Region III will be having a mixer at the hotel on Thursday evening 5:30pm-6:30pm. The mixer will be an opportunity for professionals and students to meet, mingle and establish relationships that can be further developed throughout the conference. Attendees do not have to be current members of PWANS or WiN nor is participation limited to women.

Fun-Run through the University Arboretum

Saturday, April 10th, 7:00am-9:00am, Nichols Arboretum

Nichols Arboretum, commonly known as the “Arb”, is a stretch of woods in the heart of the campus with the Huron River flowing through it. Throughout the year, students either use it for running, canoeing the river or sledding the slopes. We offer a fun run of about two miles through the Arb for you to enjoy. Maps can be obtained at the reception desk. The Arb has extensive but dispersed collections of native and exotic trees and shrubs masterfully crafted into a naturalistic landscape. So come enjoy Michigan from a different perspective and also feel a little healthy!

The mentoring golf tournament will be held Thursday morning.

For course information see this flyer.

• An entrance fee of $30 must be paid by all applicants with conference registration, though we anticipate that students will be reimbursed.
• Includes greens fee, breakfast, lunch at the turn, and one cart rental per pair.
• Please bring clubs if possible (club rental may be up to $40).
• 18 holes, everyone starts at same time, 9:00 am. Lasts max 6 hours.
• 4 person best ball style play
• Teams of 4 based on student-mentor interests and skill-level.

Panel Discussion: Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM)

Chair: Eric Miller, University of Michigan INMM Student Chapter

Saturday 12:00pm-1:00pm

The Institute of Nuclear Materials Management was formed in 1958 to encourage:

• The advancement of nuclear materials management in all its aspects.
• The promotion of research in the field of nuclear materials management.
• The establishment of standards, consistent with existing professional norms.
• The improvement of the qualifications of those engaged in nuclear materials management and safeguards through high standards of professional ethics, education, and attainments, and the recognition of those who meet such standards.
• The increase and dissemination of information through meetings, professional contacts, reports, papers, discussions, and publications.

The Panel will provide a general overview of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, and short presentations about each of four of the Divisions of the Institute that will be of interest to ANS Student Conference attendees.

Panelists:

• Larry Satkowiak, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Vice-Chair, Nonproliferation and Arms Control Division, INMM
• George Baldwin, Sandia National Laboratories, Vice-Chair, International Safeguards Division, INMM
• David Lambert, Alutiiq Corporation, Chair, Physical Protection and Nuclear Security Division, INMM
• Cary Crawford, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Chair, Material Control and Accounting Division, INMM

Public Communications Workshop

Presented by Mimi Limbach, Potomac Communications Group, Inc.

Speaking with the public about nuclear energy is both an art and a science. As the public becomes more interested in nuclear energy, its promise and its benefits, critics are accelerating their efforts to undermine this carbon-free source of energy. This workshop will help participants learn to talk with the public in ways that address concerns, touch the pulse points of various audience segments and build an understanding of nuclear energy's benefits. It will help participants gain an understanding of the perspective of various audiences. It will feature research and real life experience on the communications approaches (and the words) that work, including research recently conducted for several major utilities by nationally known firms as well as advances in risk communication. Participants will have the opportunity to put this information to work by learning how to respond to key questions about nuclear energy positively, truthfully and compellingly.

MCNP-PoliMi Transport Code Workshop

Monte Carlo Simulation of Time-Analysis Quantities

Computational methods are an essential tool for fields such as nuclear engineering and Monte Carlo simulations are frequently used in this field. Monte Carlo simulations of nuclear processes utilize interaction physics in conjunction with stochastic particle transport. MCNP-PoliMi is a modified version of the MCNP4C code that utilizes a unique event-by-event modeling technique that employs particle physics to accurately simulate physical reality. This three-hour workshop will provide the tools necessary to utilize the MCNP-PoliMi transport code. The theory behind Monte Carlo methods, the MCNP code, and the enhanced MCNP-PoliMi code will be discussed. In addition to understanding the Monte-Carlo concepts, several MCNP-PoliMi examples will be provided. This tutorial will also cover specific applications for the MCNP-PoliMi code and work through illustrations regarding methods used to analyze its output data.

Attendees who request or have requested an MCNP-PoliMi license (http://www-rsicc.ornl.gov/) please bring a laptop and follow along with the demonstration.

Nonproliferation & Nuclear Safeguards Workshop

Presented by Oak Ridge National Laboratory

After this workshop, the participants will be able to:

• List the primary components of nuclear non-proliferation
• Identify the major activities and tasks of nuclear material safeguards and security
• Define activities and tasks common among the primary components

The workshop is designed to identify safeguards and security components in a nuclear facility. Students will be able to determine the protection that an integrated system of physical security, material control and accountability safeguards in an operations environment deploys.

The workshop will consist descriptions of common elements of nuclear facilities and operations supported by a 3D Simulation of a model nuclear facility. The presentation will be given by two facilitators: one who is a physical security subject matter expert and one who is a nuclear material control and accounting subject matter expert. The facilitators will provide the students with an understanding of how physical security and nuclear material control and accountability are integrated at a hypothetical nuclear facility as well as identifying specific safeguards and security activities.

Participants will be put into a situation where they must think about a number of aspects related to safeguarding nuclear materials. Participants will be supported by facilitators who will encourage 'guided discovery' leading to the participant's ability to identify aspects and tasks of nuclear safeguards: nuclear material control and accountability; protection; and operations.

Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion Technology for Space Exploration

Friday 10:45-12:15

Experts from the Idaho National Laboratory, Center for Space Nuclear Research, and NASA will present current research and applications for existing space nuclear technology as well as the missions enabled by envisioned systems.

The panelists and their topics of discussion are:

• Dr. Howe (INL) Tungsten loaded fuels, NTR technology and testing
• Jim Werner (INL) FSP background and status, radioisotope power sources
• Dr. Borowski (NASA) nuclear-based missions - planned and potential

PARCS Workshop: Nuclear Reactor Simulation

Taught by the developers, Prof. T. Downar and his group

This two and half hour workshop will discuss the methods and conduct hands on applications of the U.S. NRC advanced reactor simulation code PARCS, which is currently used by over 50 analysis and research groups around the world for the analysis of Light Water, Heavy Water, Gas, and Sodium Reactors. The workshop will begin with a discussion of the multigroup nodal neutronics methods in PARCS and the methods used to parameterize multigroup cross sections from the various lattice physics codes. The discussion will include the various thermal-fluids codes currently coupled to PARCS to include the U.S. NRC LWR codes RELAP5, TRACE, and the HTR thermal-fluids code AGREE.

Applications will include:

• Analysis of the OECD/NEA PWR control rod ejection benchmark
• Analysis of the OECD/NEA PWR Main Steam Line Break benchmark
• Analysis of the OECD/NEA PBMR-400 benchmark

The students are encouraged to bring their own laptop in order to participate in the applications.

MAVRIC Tutorial: New Shielding Methods in SCALE

Taught by the developer, Dr. Douglas Peplow

This three-hour demonstration/tutorial will highlight the automated variance reduction capabilities of the MAVRIC sequence using several simple example shielding problems. To optimize a given tally, MAVRIC first computes an importance map and biased source distribution based on the results of approximate discrete ordinates calculations using the new Denovo SN code. The importance map and biased source are then used by the Monte Carlo functional module Monaco to compute that tally much more efficiently than an analog calculation.

Examples will include:

• calculating dose near a spent fuel cask,
• calculating a dose contour map from an array of storage casks, and
• calculating the doses at the detectors of a criticality accident alarm system.

This last example uses a fission distribution computed by KENO-VI as the source term for MAVRIC. Registered SCALE users are welcome to bring their own laptop and follow along.

Workshop on Irradiation Testing and Planning

Presented by Idaho National Laboratory, Advanced Test Reactor National Scientific User Facility

A workshop on the basics of executing and planning of irradiation experiments. This workshop is intended to give current and future scientists and engineers an introduction and an appreciation of the process by which irradiation experiments are planned and executed. The following topics will be covered:

• Basics of irradiation damage and corrosion in reactor materials and nuclear fuels
• Introduction to irradiation test reactors and their capabilities
• Basics of experiment planning, design, and conduct
• Basics of post-irradiation examination

The intended audience is for current/future materials scientists or nuclear engineers interested in design, fabrication, irradiation, and post-irradiation examination of nuclear fuels and materials.

National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory tour *TOUR IS FULL*

Sunday 10:00-3:00

Attendees will have the option of attending a tour of the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) at Michigan State University in East Lansing. The NSCL is a world leader in rare isotope research, as well as fundamental nuclear science, nuclear astrophysics, and accelerator physics. The lab operates two superconducting cyclotrons, one of which was the world's first cyclotron to use superconducting magnets and the other is the highest-energy continuous beam accelerator in the country.

Cook Nuclear Power Plant tour *TOUR IS FULL*

Sunday 7:00-5:00

Alternately, on Sunday the attendees have the option of a tour of Cook Nuclear Power Plant, located on 650 acres along Lake Michigan's eastern shore near Bridgman, Michigan. Cook is a two unit Westinghouse pressurized water reactor (PWR) power plant owned by American Electric Power (AEP) and operated by Indiana Michigan Power, an AEP subsidiary. The plant is an integral part of the regional economy, providing employment for 1000 people and electricity for over one and one half million homes. Conference attendees on the tour will see the Cook Energy Center as well as plant facilities. The tour highlights include the opportunity to simulate operations in the reactor control room and learning how to properly don radiation protection suits.

Additional Sponsored Events:

Thursday, 6:00pm-8:00pm, Welcome Reception with Dinner sponsored by Entergy Nuclear and Westinghouse Electric Co.

Friday 12:00pm-1:00pm, Lunch sponsored by Tennessee Valley Authority

Saturday 12:00pm-1:00pm, Lunch sponsored by Westinghouse Electric Company

Saturday night, Awards Banquet & Cruise on Detroit Princess Riverboat sponsored by AREVA NP, Inc. and GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy

Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program Employment Information Sessions

Presented by Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corp. (Bettis and Knolls Atomic Power Laboratories), Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. (BPMI), and the U.S. Navy Engineering Officers Program

All ANS Student Conference 2010 attendees are invited to attend one or more of the information sessions listed below. Representatives from Bettis and Knolls Atomic Power Laboratories (www.bettislab.com and www.knollslab.com), BPMI (www.bpmionline.com), and the U.S. Navy Engineering Officers Program (http://navy.com/nuclear) will discuss the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program and employment opportunities that are available at each site. Each presentation will be followed-up by a question and answer session. Bring your resume.

Friday, April 9, 2010 @ 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM (U.S. Navy only) and 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM (All Sites) in Conference Room F
Saturday, April 10, 2010 @10:30 AM - 11:30 AM (All Sites) in Conference Room F