NRC NEWS

 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

 Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200

 Washington, DC 20555-001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov 

 Web Site: http://www.nrc.gov/OPA

No. 01-119 October 4, 2001

29th ANNUAL NUCLEAR SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE

 TO BE HELD OCTOBER 22 - 24 IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold its 29th Nuclear Safety Research Conference on

October 22-24 at the Marriott Metro Center in Washington, D.C. 

The conference, formerly known as the ìWater Reactor Safety Information Meeting,î will

feature presentations and discussions on a number of technical and communications topics. The name

change more accurately reflects the wide range of issues that will be covered. The conference, which is

open to the public, will run from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday, from 8:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. on

Tuesday, and from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The Marriott Metro Center is located at 775

Twelfth Street, N.W. , Washington, D.C., adjacent to the Metro Center subway station. 

NRC Chairman Richard A. Meserve will deliver the keynote address Monday morning. 

Commissioner Greta Dicus will be a plenary speaker , while Commissioners Edward McGaffigan, Jr.

and Jeffrey Merrifield will moderate sessions on waste and decommissioning and advanced reactors,

respectively. Commissioner Nils Diaz also will provide brief remarks.

In addition to an overview of international and U.S. research programs, this yearís agenda will

include technical sessions on research in advanced reactors, storage of spent nuclear fuel in dry casks,

nuclear fuel behavior, nuclear waste and reactor decommissioning issues. The conference also will

explore nuclear power plant age-related issues and risk-informed regulation and will include a panel on

how the agency can more effectively communicate with members of the public. A complete agenda is

attached. 

Those who wish to attend the conference are encouraged to register in advance at

www.bnl.gov/NSRC , or by contacting Sandra Nesmith at www.srn@nrc.gov
Nuclear Safety Research Conference (NSRC)

(formerly known as the Water Reactor Safety Meeting (WRSM)

October 22-24, 2001

Marriott at Metro Center

(775 12th St. NW, Washington DC)

Monday, October 22, 2001

8:00-8:15am Opening Remarks - Ashok Thadani, Director, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research 

8:15-9:00am Keynote Speaker - Richard Meserve, Chairman, NRC

9:00-9:30am Recent Accomplishments - Roy Zimmerman, Deputy Director, Office of Nuclear

Regulatory Research

9:45-11:30am Overview of International/U.S. Research Programs - Panel Discussion

 Moderator: A. Thadani) 

Objective: The panel will provide an overview of other safety research programs in the U.S. and

overseas. 

Panel Members Include: M. Livolant (IPSN), W. Magwood (DOE), T. Marston (EPRI), and K. Soda

(JAERI) 

11:30-12:15pm Plenary - Commissioner Greta J. Dicus

12:15-1:45pm LUNCH
1:45-5:00pm Advanced Reactors Session 

Chair: T. King, NRC

Co-Chair: S. Floyd, NEI

Objective: To communicate specific research

activities related to preparing the Agency to

review an advanced design.

Presentations

1. NRC Pre-application Activities on HTGR,

J. Flack (NRC)

2. NRC Preparation for Future Reactor

Licensing, J. Lyons (NRC)

3. A New Risk-Informed Design and Regulatory

Process , M. Golay (MIT)

4. The Need for a New Regulatory Framework,

S. Floyd (NEI)

5. HTGR Research Programs and Needs, T.

King (NRC)

6. Industry View on R&D Needs for New Plants,

E. Rodwell (EPRI)

7. Pre-application Activities for IRIS and

Related Research Needs, M. Carelli, S,

Ritterbusch (Westinghouse)

Dry Cask Research Session

Chair: M. Cunningham, NRC

Co-Chair: J. Guttman, NRC

Objective: To communicate recent accomplishments

and future plans in the Office of Researchís work to

assess key safety and risk issues relating to the

licensing of dry cask fuel storage devices.

Presentations

1. The Package Performance Study - A Study of

Spent Fuel Transportation, A. Murphy, R. Lewis

(NRC), J. Sprung, K. Sorenson (SNL)

2. A Risk Analysis of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Dry

Casks, C. Ryder, E. Rodrick, J. Guttman (NRC)

3. Seismic Behavior of Spent Fuel Storage Cask

Systems, S. Khalid Shauket (NRC)

4. An Analysis of a Spent Fuel Transportation Cask

Under Rail Tunnel Fire Conditions , C. Bajwa (NRC)

Tuesday, October 23, 2001

8:15-10:30am Waste and Decommissioning - Panel Discussion

Moderator: Commissioner Edward McGaffigan, Jr., Commissioner, NRC)

Objective: The panel will discuss current research initiatives in addressing issues in human and

environmental health risk assessment.

Panel Members Include: A. Wallo (DOE), M. Boyd (EPA), T. Cardwell (CRCPD), C. Paperiello (NRC),

and L. Baekelandt (Federal Agency for Nuclear Control in Belgium)

10:45-12:45pm Advanced Reactors - Panel Discussion

Moderator: Jeffrey S. Merrifield, Commissioner, NRC

Objective: The panel will give an overview of ongoing programs and discuss the following: safety

attributes of advanced designs, key issues with respect to licensing, key issues with respect to

development, research needs/priorities, and the outlook for the future.

Panel Members Include: R. Simard (NEI), T. Marston (EPRI), W. Magwood (DOE), V. Asmolov (KI),

E. Lyman (NCI), P. Lyons (U.S. Senate Staff (Senator Pete Domenici))

12:45-2:15pm LUNCH
2:15-6:00pm Fuel Research Session

Chair: R. Meyer, NRC

Co-Chair: R. Yang, EPRI

Objective: To communicate recent

accomplishments in NRCís fuel research

program and related programs that are used by

NRC through cooperative agreements.

Presentations

1. Study of High Burnup Fuel Behavior Under

LOCA Conditions at JAERI - Hydrogen Effects on

the Failure-bearing Capability of Cladding Tubes,

F. Nagase, H. Uetsuka (JAERI)

2. Overview of Test Results on Mechanical

Properties of Unirradiated and Irradiated Zr1%Nb E110 Alloy Cladding, L. Yegorova, E.

Kaplar, K. Lioutov (RRC), V. Smirnov, A.

Goryachev (Russian State Research Center)

3. High Temperature Oxidation of Irradiated

Limerick BWR Cladding, Y. Yan, R. Strain, M.

Billone (ANL)

4. Status of the CABRI International Programme

and Preparation for the CIP0 Test Series, J.

Papin, C. Marguie, F. Lemoine, M. Faury, J. C.

Melis (IPSN)

5. FRAPTRAN Fuel Rod Code and its Coupled

Transient Analysis with the GENFLO Thermal

Hydraulic Code, K. Valtonen (STUK), A.

Hamalainen (VTT), M. Cunningham (PNNL)

Age Related Issues and Research Session

Chair: N. Chokshi, NRC

Co-Chair: W. Bateman, NRC

Objective: To provide information on NRCís

current research activities related to aging

and age related degradations, and how these

activities relate to some of the current

operating experiences and other emerging

issues. In part, this session will also provide

information on aging management activities

in other industries.

Presentations

1. Stress Corrosion Cracking and nonDestructive Examination of Dissimilar Metal

Welds and Alloy 600, D. Jackson

2. Regulatory Activities Related to

Circumferential Cracking of Reactor

Pressure Vessel Head Penetration Nozzles,

A. Hiser (NRC)

3. Aging Evaluation of Cables in Japan,

A.Yamaguchi (Japan Power Engineering

Corporation) 

4. FAA Enhanced Airworthiness Program for

Managing Aging in Airplane Systems, M.

Sadeghi (FAA)

5. Methods to Integrate Aging Effects into

Probabilistic Risk Assessments, A. Buslik

(NRC)

6. Age-Related Degradation of Structures

and Passive Components at Nuclear Power

Plants, J. Braverman (BNL), B. Ellingwood

(Georgia Inst. of Tech.), D. Naus (ORNL),

T.Y, Chang (NRC)

Wednesday, October 24, 2001
8:00-10:30am Communicating the RES Role and Program - Panel Discussion

Moderator: Patricia Norry, Deputy Executive Director for Management Services, NRC

Objective: The panel will explore and seek innovative ways to communicate the role and the scope

and content of the RES program, with particular emphasis on objectives, products, and regulatory

applications.

Panel Members Include: D. Cates (Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House of

Representatives), M. Conley (Inside N.R.C.), A. Howard (NEI), A. Kadak (MIT), D. Lochbaum (Union

of Concerned Scientists),T. Okkonen (STUK), and Margaret Federline (NRC)

10:45am12noon

Fuel Research Session (Contíd) 

Presentations

6. Pulse Width Variations in a Rod Ejection

Accident, D. Diamond (BNL)

7. The Industry-Proposed New RIA Criteria

for Burnup Extension, N. Waeckel

(Electricite de France), R.Montgomery

(Anatech Corporation), R. Yang (EPRI)

Poster Paper: Needs for Experimental

Programmes on LOCA Issues Using High

Burnup and MOX Fuels, A. Mailliat, M.

Schwarz (IPSN)

Risk Informing Regulatory Practices

Session

Chair: M. Cunningham, NRC 

Co-Chair: C. Carpenter, NRC

Objective: To communicate recent

accomplishments and future plans in the Officeís

work to risk-inform agency regulatory practices,

showing the breadth and value of such activities

as well as describe key technical issues. 

Presentations

1. An Overview of NRC Research Activities in

PRA, S. Newberry, P. Baranowsky, M.

Cunningham (NRC)

2. Pressurized Thermal Shock Risk

Assessment, D. Whitehead, V. Dandini (SNL),

A. Kolaczkowski (Science Applications

International Corp.), E. Thornsbury, H. Woods

(NRC)

12noon-1:15pm LUNCH
1:15-3:45pm Fuel Issues - Panel Discussion 

Chair: R. Meyer

Objective: What issues should be addressed in

an NRC safety research program, and is the

current spectrum of research projects

adequate?

Panel Members Include: T. King (NRC), R. Yang

(EPRI), R. Reynolds (Framatome), G. Holahan

(NRC), W. Shack (ACRS)

Risk Informing Regulatory Practices

Session (Continued)

3. Circuit Analysis in Fire Risk Assessment ,

S. Nowlen, F. Wyant (SNL), N. Siu, H. Woods

(NRC) 

4. Risk-Based Performance Indicators and

the Inspection Process, P. Baranowsky (NRC)

5. EPRI Strategic Action Plan for Risk

Technology, J. Gaertner, J. Haugh (EPRI)

4:00pm Closing Remarks/Audience Feedback - Ashok Thadani, Director, Office of Nuclear

Regulatory Research

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