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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lunar Surface Position Determination using Perceived Signal Strength

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the feasibility of transmitters and receivers on the lunar surface for Position Determination (PD) without any form of lunar Global Positioning System (GPS). The early Artemis program may lack GPS satellites orbiting the Moon, and it is critical that activities with the lander, rover, and crew EVA identify their position on the lunar surface at all times. This project creates a prototype system that trilaterates user position based upon the perceived signal from at least 3 nearby transmission towers, called “Lunar Access Points”. The application of perceived signal strength for surface PD has historically been used in terrestrial systems such as Long Range Navigation (LORAN), which was popular with the maritime industry prior to the Global Positioning System (GPS). The ease of installing such a local system for early Artemis missions provides a critical resource until satellite-based position determination systems are deployed. A surface-based PD can also be used in GPS-denied environments such as deep craters or lava tubes where satellite visibility is compromised. By demonstrating the basic capability of surface PD, this student team has learned about issues with power, distance, thermal, dust, radiation, data processing, and communication problems applicable to the lunar surface. This knowledge can feed into future NASA requirements to improve the capability of a LunaNET implementation for the Artemis program. This project follows 10 years of successful collaboration between NASA JSC/ARES, Texas Space, Technology, Applications and Research (T STAR) and Texas A&M University in a Public, Private, Academic (PPA) Partnership. NASA funds T STAR to mentor undergraduate Capstone teams in the College of Engineering Department to design, built, and test prototypes meeting NASA requirements. TAMU faculty lead the student teams in their academic class, and NASA Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) provide T STAR and students insight on requirements evolution, prior design projects, and future development goals.

Position Determination↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Using Mesh Networking for A Dynamic Lunar Internet of Things (Liot)

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the feasibility of an IEEE 802.11 mesh protocol for lunar surface computing. This standard for wireless networking boosts speed, dependability and range of wireless transmissions. The concept is to integrate sensors (such as deployed science instruments) or Astronaut tools (such as a handheld spectrometer) that communicate with a node on a common cell. The nodes can extend the range of the cell and can dynamically reconfigure the data routing in case of another node failure. All of the data in a cell pass through a modem that communicates with a distant base station across a 4G link. The application of mesh networking to a potential lunar surface network increases robustness and fault tolerance over a traditional single-point modem system. By demonstrating the basic capability of a mesh network, the student team has learned about issues with power, distance, thermal, dust, radiation, data processing, and communication problems applicable to the lunar surface. This knowledge can feed into future NASA requirements to improve the capability of a LunaNET implementation for the Artemis program. This project follows 10 years of successful collaboration between NASA ARES, Texas Space, Technology, Applications and Research (T STAR) and Texas A&M University in a Public, Private, Academic (PPA) Partnership. NASA funds T STAR to mentor undergraduate Capstone teams in the College of Engineering Department to design, built, and test prototypes meeting NASA requirements. TAMU faculty lead the student teams in their academic class, and NASA Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) provide T STAR and students insight on requirements evolution, prior design projects, and future development goals.

Lunar Mesh Networking↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

2024 Nasa Lunabotics University Competition: Site Preparation With Bulk Regolith

Lunabotics provides accredited in-stitutions of higher learning students (vocational-technical, college, university) an opportunity to apply the NASA systems engineering process to design and build a prototype robot. This robot would be capable of performing the proposed operations on the Lunar sur-face in support of future Artemis mission goals. Lunabotics features a systems engineering design challenge to engage students in the next phase of hu-man space exploration supporting the Artemis missions. This two-semester event encourages students to design and build an autonomous or telerobotic robot designed to traverse the simulated Lunar surface and complete the assigned construction tasks. The number of teams accepted into this challenge is not predetermined but is based on the scores and overall quality of the Project Management Plans received and other factors.

Lunabotics↗
DOE OSTI2011

Laser Safety: A Laser Alignment Practical Training Course

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has developed a Laser Alignment Practical Training Course as one of its core laser safety classes. The course is taught to small groups of up to three students and takes 1-3 hours to complete. This practical course is not a substitute for site-specific On-the-Job Training; it does, however, provide a good introduction in core laser safety practices that can be broadly applied. Alignment and diagnostic tasks are performed with low power lasers. Students learn safe alignment and diagnostic techniques and how to avoid common mistakes that might lead to an accident. The class is taught by laser supervisors, enabling them to assess the skill level of new laser personnel and determine the subsequent level of supervision needed. The course has six alignment tasks. For each task, discussion points are given for the instructor to review with the students. The optics setup includes different wavelength lasers, a beam expander, mirrors, irises, a periscope, a beam-splitting polarizer and a diffraction grating. Diagnostic tools include viewing cards, an IR viewer and a ccd camera. Laser eyewear is available to block some laser wavelengths in the setup.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2010

The European Safeguards Research and Development Association Addresses Safeguards and Nonproliferation

The renaissance of efforts to expand the use of nuclear energy requires the parallel development of a renewed and more sophisticated work force. Growth in the nuclear sector with high standard of safety, safeguards and security requires skilled staff for design, operations, inspections etc. High-quality nuclear technology educational programs are diminished from past years, and the ability of universities to attract students and to meet future staffing requirements of the nuclear industry is becoming seriously compromised. Thus, education and training in nuclear engineering and sciences is one of the cornerstones for the nuclear sector. Teaching in the nuclear field still seems strongly influenced by national history but it is time to strengthen resources and collaborate. Moreover with the current nuclear security threats it becomes critical that nuclear technology experts master the basic principles not only of safety, but also of nuclear safeguards, nonproliferation and nuclear security. In Europe the European Nuclear Education Network (ENEN) Association has established the certificate 'European Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering (EMSNE)' as the classic nuclear engineering program covering reactor operation and nuclear safety. However, it does not include courses on nonproliferation, safeguards, or dual-use technologies. The lack of education in nuclear safeguards was tackled by the European Safeguards Research and Development Association (ESARDA), through development and implementation of safeguards course modules. Since 2005 the ESARDA Working Group, called the Training and Knowledge Management Working Group, (TKMWG) has worked with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra, Italy to organize a Nuclear Safeguards and Nonproliferation course. This five-day course is held each spring at the JRC, and continues to show increasing interest as evidenced by the positive responses of international lecturers and students. The standard set of lectures covers a broad range of subjects, including nuclear material accountancy principles, legal definitions and the regulatory base and inspection tools and techniques. This 60% core part is given by representatives from regulatory bodies (The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, Directorate General for Nuclear Energy and Transport), industry (AREVA, British Nuclear Group), and research (Stockholm University, Hamburg University, Joint Research Centre-Institute of Transuranic Elements, and Joint Research Centre-Institute for the Protection of the Citizen). The remaining part is completed with topical lectures addressed by invited lecturers, such as from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the IAEA addressing topics of physical protection, illicit trafficking, the Iraq case study, exercises, including satellite imagery interpretation etc. With this structure of a stable core plus a variable set of invited lectures, the course will remain sustainable and up-to-date. A syllabus provides the students a homogeneous set of information material in nuclear safeguards and nonproliferation matters at the European and international level. In this way, the ESARDA TKMWG aims to contribute to a two-fold scientific-technical and political-juridical education and training.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2012

AVESTAR Center for Operational Excellence of Electricity Generation Plants

To address industry challenges in attaining operational excellence for electricity generation plants, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has launched a world-class facility for Advanced Virtual Energy Simulation Training and Research (AVESTARTM). This presentation will highlight the AVESTARTM Center simulators, facilities, and comprehensive training, education, and research programs focused on the operation and control of high-efficiency, near-zero-emission electricity generation plants. The AVESTAR Center brings together state-of-the-art, real-time, high-fidelity dynamic simulators with full-scope operator training systems (OTSs) and 3D virtual immersive training systems (ITSs) into an integrated energy plant and control room environment. AVESTAR’s initial offering combines--for the first time--a “gasification with CO2 capture” process simulator with a “combined-cycle” power simulator together in a single OTS/ITS solution for an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant with carbon dioxide (CO2) capture. IGCC systems are an attractive technology option for power generation, especially when capturing and storing CO2 is necessary to satisfy emission targets. The AVESTAR training program offers a variety of courses that merge classroom learning, simulator-based OTS learning in a control-room operations environment, and immersive learning in the interactive 3D virtual plant environment or ITS. All of the courses introduce trainees to base-load plant operation, control, startups, and shutdowns. Advanced courses require participants to become familiar with coordinated control, fuel switching, power-demand load shedding, and load following, as well as to problem solve equipment and process malfunctions. Designed to ensure work force development, training is offered for control room and plant field operators, as well as engineers and managers. Such comprehensive simulator-based instruction allows for realistic training without compromising worker, equipment, and environmental safety. It also better prepares operators and engineers to manage the plant closer to economic constraints while minimizing or avoiding the impact of any potentially harmful, wasteful, or inefficient events. The AVESTAR Center is also used to augment graduate and undergraduate engineering education in the areas of process simulation, dynamics, control, and safety. Students and researchers gain hands-on simulator-based training experience and learn how the commercial-scale power plants respond dynamically to changes in manipulated inputs, such as coal feed flow rate and power demand. Students also analyze how the regulatory control system impacts power plant performance and stability. In addition, students practice start-up, shutdown, and malfunction scenarios. The 3D virtual ITSs are used for plant familiarization, walk-through, equipment animations, and safety scenarios. To further leverage the AVESTAR facilities and simulators, NETL and its university partners are pursuing an innovative and collaborative R&D program. In the area of process control, AVESTAR researchers are developing enhanced strategies for regulatory control and coordinated plant-wide control, including gasifier and gas turbine lead, as well as advanced process control using model predictive control (MPC) techniques. Other AVESTAR R&D focus areas include high-fidelity equipment modeling using partial differential equations, dynamic reduced order modeling, optimal sensor placement, 3D virtual plant simulation, and modern grid. NETL and its partners plan to continue building the AVESTAR portfolio of dynamic simulators, immersive training systems, and advanced research capabilities to satisfy industry’s growing need for training and experience with the operation and control of clean energy plants. Future dynamic simulators under development include natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) and supercritical pulverized coal (SCPC) plants with post-combustion CO2 capture. These dynamic simulators are targeted for use in establishing a Virtual Carbon Capture Center (VCCC), similar in concept to the DOE’s National Carbon Capture Center for slipstream testing. The VCCC will enable developers of CO2 capture technologies to integrate, test, and optimize the operation of their dynamic capture models within the context of baseline power plant dynamic models. The objective is to provide hands-on, simulator-based “learn-by-operating” test platforms to accelerate the scale-up and deployment of CO2 capture technologies. Future AVESTAR plans also include pursuing R&D on the dynamics, operation, and control of integrated electricity generation and storage systems for the modern grid era. Special emphasis will be given to combining load-following energy plants with renewable and distributed generating supplies and fast-ramping energy storage systems to provide near constant baseload power.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2012

STEM Infrastructure Improvement: Wilson-Booker Science Building (WBSB)

The Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics is housed in the Wilson-Booker Science Building (WBSB) which previously consisted of six classrooms, a lecture room, three biology laboratories, one physics laboratory, one chemistry laboratory, one research laboratory, and three computer laboratories. However, due to rapid expansion in STEM majors, there was a dire need for more classroom and laboratory space to accommodate this expansion. Further, since the College started integrating research into the curriculum in 2004 in order to keep pace with the national trend in science education, it has become apparent that one small research laboratory that accommodates 10 students will not keep pace with the growing needs of the new students interested in research. Therefore, it became imperative to add another research laboratory to augment the existing one. Thus, the new instrumentation/Research Laboratory will provide space for the new equipment and research space for an additional 8 - 10 students. In addition, the new WBSB wing also houses a Biochemisty/Molecular Biology Laboratory, an Organic Chemistry laboratory, an Animal Laboratory, a Seminar Room, two spacious classrooms, and 3 Faculty Offices. The impact of the new facility will be far-reaching.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Introduction to Cyber Technologies exercise environment

Exercise environment for Introduction to Cyber Technologies class. This software is essentially a collection of short scripts, configuration files, and small executables that form the exercise component of the Sandia Cyber Technologies Academy's Introduction to Cyber Technologies class. It builds upon other open-source technologies, such as Debian Linux and minimega, to provide comprehensive Linux and networking exercises that make learning these topics exciting and fun. Sample exercises: a pre-built set of home directories the student must navigate through to learn about privilege escalation, the creation of a virtual network playground designed to teach the student about the resiliency of the Internet, and a two-hour Capture the Flag challenge for the final lesson. There are approximately thirty (30) exercises included for the students to complete as part of the course.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2014

Highlights from Sherwood 2014. International Sherwood Fusion Theory Conference, March 24-26, Bahia Resort Hotel, San Diego, California

Rob Goldston (PPPL) kicked off the Sherwood meeting with his review talk, “Understanding and innovation in magnetic fusion”. He covered a history of results from tokamak experiments in the areas of core confinement, stability, sustainment – tying the paradigms for understanding all three to the plasma edge, where outstanding questions remain. Two other review talks were given by Russel Caflisch (UCLA) on “Accelerated simulation of coulomb collisions in plasmas”, and Dan Barnes (Tri Alpha) on “Plasma theory as private enterprise”. Altogether, there were 15 invited talks spanning the field of fusion theory on topics such as nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of the tokamak edge, plasma-wall modelling, toroidal rotation, zonal flows, magnetic field-line reconnection, coulomb collisions, and intrinsic momentum transport. Author-provided summaries of several of the invited talks are included on pages 7 to 14 of this document. There was a very strong showing by graduate students, postdocs, and young scientists at the meeting. More than 25 students from around the world presented papers. A list of all participating students can be found on page 5 of this document

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2016

Expanding geothermal resource utilization through directed research, education, and public outreach: Final Technical Report

The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) conducts research and outreach activities that will lead to increased utilization of geothermal resources in the western US. The Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy (GBCGE) is working in partnership with US industry to establish geothermal energy as a sustainable, environmentally sound, economically competitive contributor to energy supply in the western US. Task 1 involves conducting geoscience and engineering research and developing technology to improve the assessment, exploration, and stimulation of geothermal resources. Subtask projects were selected based on peer review of proposals submitted to the GBCGE from Nevada System of High Education (NSHE) institutions for short project development and seed awards intended to develop background and establish viability of approaches for future activities. Task 2 includes project management and organization of workshops periodically requested by DOE and others to satisfy other mission goals of the GBCGE and the DOE geothermal program. GBCGE supports interaction with national and international geothermal organizations, with brochures, presentations, and materials describing GBCGE accomplishments and current research. We continue to maintain and develop an internet-based information system that makes geothermal data and information available to industry, government, and academic stakeholders for exploration and development of geothermal resources. This award also partially supported post-doctoral scholar Drew Siler and research scientist Betsy Littlefield Pace whose effort is included under developing future research projects. Task 2 also focuses on education and outreach through a competitive graduate fellowship program. The budget is for two-year stipends for three graduate students to work collaboratively with GBCGE faculty on Master’s or PhD degrees in geoscience and engineering fields. This grant supported three MS students in full for two years toward the degree and contributed bridge money for four other students to finish their degrees. In total, eight graduate degrees were supported by this grant, either through the faculty seed grants or the fellowship program.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

DE-SC0016684 - DOE Final Scientific and Technical Report

The Computing Research Association’s Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research (CRA-W) aims to increase the number of women who participate and succeed in computer science research at every stage of the research pipeline. Achieving these objectives requires that an increasing number of women start and progress to the next stage. The CRA-W Grad Cohort Workshop is focused at the graduate level to maximize the likelihood participants will successfully complete their graduate degrees. Factors such as role models, skills, competence, confidence, mentoring, social support, and development of identity as a researcher help students to persist in graduate school, while factors such as sexism, racism, and dissatisfaction with their graduate program may cause them to leave. We, therefore, help first, second, and third year students build their skills, research strategies, and confidence; meet potential mentors from outside their institutions; develop connections with each other and with their research communities; and inform them about strategies for successful publishing, speaking, and advisor management strategies. By targeting early graduate students, we seek to help them stay in graduate school and in research.

Russell, Erik↗
DOE OSTI2021

Implementing Zero Energy Design with the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Design Challenge is a collegiate competition that challenges student teams to design high performance buildings that push the boundaries of the industry. In the 2020 competition, DOE is piloting Design Partners, a low-risk opportunity for builders and building owners to harness student innovation and explore zero energy design for current or upcoming projects. Design Partners provide a student team of architects and engineers with project requirements. By the end of the Challenge, Design Partners receive a zero energy alternative and cost estimate for their project. The collaboration allows Design Partners to incorporate innovative concepts such as grid-interactivity, resilience, and low embodied carbon in a low-risk environment and provides the future generation of engineers and architects with invaluable experience designing a building for a client under real-world circumstances. Attendees will leave understanding the “perfect storm” of policy, technology, health, and economic trends that make zero energy buildings desirable and feasible and the value of the U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon to industry. They will also get a sneak peek at innovative solutions 2020 Design Partner pilot projects are bringing to the building industry and how becoming a Design Partner in 2021 could benefit their organization.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2021

U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon® Design Challenge is a collegiate competition that challenges student teams to design high-performance buildings that push the boundaries of the industry. In the 2020 Design Challenge, DOE piloted the Design Partners Program, a low-risk opportunity for builders and building owners to harness student innovation and explore zero energy design for current or upcoming projects. Design Partners provide a student team of architects and engineers with project requirements. By the end of the Design Challenge, Design Partners receive a zero-energy design alternative and cost estimate for their project. The collaboration allows Design Partners to incorporate innovative concepts such as grid-interactivity, resilience, and low embodied carbon in a low-risk environment. It also provides the future generation of engineers and architects with invaluable experience designing a building for a client under real-world circumstances. This article summarizes the current policy, technology, health, and economic trends that make zero energy buildings desirable and feasible, and presents the value of the Solar Decathlon to industry. We highlight innovative solutions 2020 Design Partner pilot projects are bringing to the building industry.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Building the Next Generation Through 20 Years of Solar Decathlon: From Collegiate Prize to Multifaceted Clean Energy Workforce Program: Preprint

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, initiated in 2002 as a collegiate competition that challenges student teams to design and build high-performance, low-carbon buildings powered by renewables, has always been about developing students to be the next generation of buildings professionals. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Solar Decathlon in 2022, this paper highlights its evolution from a singular prize to a multi-faceted platform preparing the broader buildings workforce to address the challenges of climate change. The original program challenged students to design and construct a residence. To improve the accessibility of the competition, the Design Challenge -- a 1-2 semester design-only competition-- was added to the Solar Decathlon platform. The Solar Decathlon has also scaled globally with events in Europe, the Middle East, China, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and India. In 2021, the Solar Decathlon broadened its reach once again by introducing Solar Decathlon Pro, a zero-energy design practicum for professional architects and engineers. This paper utilizes participation data, surveys, alumni profiles, project submissions, and more to understand how changes to the program have expanded program reach to minority-serving institutions, environmental justice communities, and impacted the building industry's capacity to construct high performance and zero energy buildings. As one of the oldest federal government prizes, the Solar Decathlon offers a roadmap for dramatically increasing prize impact and demonstrates that it continues to push boundaries to tackle decarbonization and environmental justice.

build↗
DOE OSTI2022

Solar Decathlon Celebrates 20 Years of Building Impact

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® is a collegiate competition that has inspired students worldwide to enter the clean energy workforce since its inception. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2022, the Solar Decathlon has challenged more than 25,000 students to create efficient, affordable buildings powered by renewables, while promoting student innovation, STEM education, and workforce development opportunities in the buildings industry. Compelling graphics, videos, and visuals are being developed to launch a 20th anniversary campaign in January 2022. These graphics include an interactive 20th anniversary infographic, a "Solar Decathlon - By the Numbers" video, and a graphic highlighting the diverse group of more than 25,000 past participants. In presenting these graphics at the ACEEE summer 2022 panel, attendees will be exposed to the latest communications techniques to apply to their own work. The Solar Decathlon invests in compelling visuals to recruit and inspire an imaginative and diverse group of participants each year - something that organizations of all sizes in the energy efficiency sector also need to do as they recruit for new talent. The Virtual Village of the 2020 Build Challenge homes (with more than 11,000 unique views) and the map of past competition houses highlight the competition's emphasis on multimedia that connects with competitors and the general public. Using more than 4,400 publicly available photos, including engaging virtual event snapshots with Department of Energy leaders, the Solar Decathlon captures the innovate ideas of the Build Challenge and Design Challenge teams in a way that everyone can understand.

collegiate competition↗
DOE OSTI2013

Teaching Radioactive Waste Management in an Undergraduate Engineering Program - 13269

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology is Ontario's newest university and the only one in Canada that offers an accredited Bachelor of Nuclear Engineering (Honours) degree. The nuclear engineering program consists of 48 full-semester courses, including one on radioactive waste management. This is a design course that challenges young engineers to develop a fundamental understanding of how to manage the storage and disposal of various types and forms of radioactive waste, and to recognize the social consequences of their practices and decisions. Students are tasked with developing a major project based on an environmental assessment of a simple conceptual design for a waste disposal facility. They use collaborative learning and self-directed exploration to gain the requisite knowledge of the waste management system. The project constitutes 70% of their mark, but is broken down into several small components that include, an environmental assessment comprehensive study report, a technical review, a facility design, and a public defense of their proposal. Many aspects of the project mirror industry team project situations, including the various levels of participation. The success of the students is correlated with their engagement in the project, the highest final examination scores achieved by students with the strongest effort in the project. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2015

Contributions of the SCK.CEN Academy to education and training in nuclear science and technology

Thanks to its thorough experience in the field of nuclear science and technology, its innovative research and the availability of large and unique nuclear installations, SCK.CEN is not only a renowned nuclear research institution, but also an important partner for nuclear education and training in Belgium as well as at international level. Within the SCK.CEN Academy, more than 60 years of nuclear expertise and experience gained from our different research projects is collected and transferred. In the interest of maintaining a competent workforce in industry, Healthcare, research, and policy, and of transferring nuclear knowledge and skills to the next generations, the SCK.CEN Academy takes it as its mission to: - provide guidance for students and early-stage researchers; - organize academic courses and customized training for professionals; - offer policy support with regard to education and training matters; - care for critical-intellectual capacities for society. Specifically in the domain of nuclear instrumentation the SCK.CEN Academy provides an opportunity to students at Bachelor, Master and PhD level to make use of the SCK.CEN infrastructure to support their thesis research or to perform an internship with the aim to improve and extend their knowledge and skills in a specific research or technical domain. Further, they can contribute to new findings in the field of nuclear instrumentation. The students are guided by our scientists, engineers and technicians who have years of experience in the relevant field. In addition, the SCK.CEN Academy contributes to traditional university education programs and delivers courses in several nuclear topics such as dosimetry. We also coordinate the Belgian Nuclear higher Engineering Network (BNEN), a one year (60 ECTS) master-after-master specialization in nuclear engineering in which 6 Belgian universities and SCK.CEN are involved. Beyond the contributions to academic education, we also provide several customized training programs tailored to the needs of the learners in terms of content, duration, level, language, location, etc. Complementary to the theoretical classes, ample attention is given to practical sessions and technical visits are foreseen which enable trainees to enrich and illustrate their acquired knowledge with the practice of real-life situations. In this poster presentation an overview will be given of the activities in the domains described above. Moreover it will be shown how these initiatives are embedded in the most recent European approaches to nuclear education and training via collaboration in several EU projects and networks. (authors)

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗
DOE OSTI2015

Education and training in the field of nuclear instrumentation and measurement: CEA/INSTN (National Institute for Nuclear Sciences and Technologies) strategy to improve and develop new pedagogical tools and methods

Part of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), the National Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology (INSTN) is a higher education institution whose mission is to provide students and professionals a high level of scientific and technological qualification in all disciplines related to nuclear energy applications. In this frame, INSTN carries out education and training (E and T) programs in nuclear instrumentation and radioprotection. Its strategy has always been to complete theoretical courses by training courses and laboratory works carried out on an extensive range of training tools that includes a large panel of nuclear instrumentation as well as software applications. Since its creation in 1956, the INSTN has conducted both education and vocational programs on ionizing radiation detection. An extensive range of techniques have commonly been used during practical works with students and employees of companies who need to get the knowledge and specialization in this field. Today, the INSTN is mainly equipped with usual detectors and electronics in large numbers in order to be able to accommodate up to 48 trainees at the same time in two classrooms, with only two trainees for one workstation in order to optimize their learning. In the field of the neutron detection systems, the INSTN has strongly developed its offer taking advantage of the use of research reactors, such as ISIS reactor (700 kW) at Saclay. The implementation of neutron detection systems specific to the courses offers a unique way of observing and analysing the signal coming from neutron detectors, as well as learning how to set the parameters of the detection system in real conditions. Providing the trainees with an extensive overview of each part of the neutron monitoring instrumentation apply to a nuclear reactor, hands-on measurements on the ISIS reactor play a major role in ensuring a practical and comprehensive understanding of the neutron detection system and their integration in the safety system of nuclear reactors. It also gives a solid background for the follow up and the development of the neutron detection systems. Another field of activity of the INSTN is the development of new teaching tools using software applications. We describe hereafter two applications that have recently been developed by the institute, O.S.I.R.I.S and DOSIMEX. The INSTN and the company OREKA have developed an innovative teaching tool named O.S.I.R.I.S. The tool is built on a virtual 3D environment in which users operate in a totally free way. The action is located in a pressurised water reactor in the environment of a steam generator building. The users are students or professionals who want to learn and train on concrete situations on how to protect the workers against radiation. Through the use of this serious game, users must: establish a predictive dose evaluation, implement the principles of radiation protection, perform the dose result of the operation, analyse the gap between the predictive collective dose and the collective dose achieved, and decide about the lessons to provide feedback. Taking into account the increasing constraints related to radiation protection, it is essential to use computer codes to evaluate the dose rates generated by sources of ionizing radiation. Many powerful codes exist but are often relatively complex to implement and are dedicated to experts. In addition, these codes are often 'black boxes' that does not allow the user to understand the underlying physics. The objective of DOSIMEX codes developed by the INSTN is to give, by the means of a VBA code with a simple interface, the ability to easily conduct a wide range of radiological exposure situations: calculation of gamma, beta, neutron equivalent dose rate, calculation of internal contamination and atmospheric transfer.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗