Packaging University

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• University of Nevada, Reno Graduate Certificate in Nuclear Packaging:  The U.S. Department of Energy's Packaging Certification Program (DOE PCP) has been working with the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) Mechanical Engineering Department since 2013 to develop an accredited graduate-level nuclear packaging program.  The Graduate Certificate in Nuclear Packaging (GCNP) provides a curriculum in packaging for nuclear and other radioactive materials that complements graduate programs in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Engineering and is more applied-knowledge-based than research-based.  The admission requirements is an earned baccalaureate degree in mechanical, materials, nuclear or a closely-related engineering field, or a baccalaureate degree and background in project management related to packaging of nuclear and other radioactive materials.  The Certificate and its courses have been approved by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), Redmond, WA.
  
  The purposes of developing the Certificate are to (a) to encourage students to complete a curriculum in packaging safety and security of nuclear and other radioactive materials that has both depth and breadth, and (b) provide a graduate-level curriculum designed to give students an advantage when seeking employment or advancement in the area of packaging of nuclear and other radioactive materials, or related fields.
  
  The nine courses were developed and offered on a regular basis for DOE PCP by the Argonne (ANL), Lawrence Livermore (LLNL), Oak Ridge (ORNL), Sandia (SNL), and Savannah River (SRNL) National Laboratories, etc.; and the courses are assigned the following UNR Mechanical Engineering (ME) course numbers:
  
  
  
  Click on the ME course number in the below list to see the full course description and registration information.
  ME 690 - Radiation and Nuclear Criticality Analysis of RAM Packages, 1 credit (offered only at ​ORNL)
  ME 691 - ASME Pressure Vessel Code for Nuclear Transport and Storage, 1 credit (offered only at ​ANL)
  ME 692 - QA for Radioactive Material Packaging, 1 credit (offered only at ​ANL)
  ME 694D - Nuclear and Other Radioactive Materials Transport Security - Domestic, 1 credit (offered only at ​ANL)
  ME 694I - Nuclear and Other Radioactive Materials Transport Security - International, 1 credit (offered only at ​ANL)
  ME 695 - SARP Review and Confirmatory Analysis, 2 credits (offered only at LLNL)
  ME 696 - Management of SARP Preparation, 1 credit (offered only at SRNL)
  ME 697 - Radioactive Material Package Operations and Leak Testing, 1 credit (offered only at SRNL)
  ME 698 - Thermal Modeling and Testing of RAM Packages, 1 credit (offered only at SNL)
  ME 699 - Nuclear Packaging Internships, 3 credit (offered only at commercial or government nuclear facilities)
  
  Students who enroll in these ​DOE PCP ME 6xx classes will receive UNR graduate credit if they: (1) Gain special graduate admission to UNR, (2) Enroll in the UNR course and pay tuition, and (3) Pass the course. These credits may be applied toward graduate degrees at UNR or any other university that accepts that credit.
  
  If students receive a C grade or better in a class, then the student will be able to use the credits toward UNR’s 9-credit GCNP. To earn the Certificate, students must complete ME 691, ME 692 and ME 69​5, which are required. They must take 5 additional elective credits from the above list. Finally, to earn the GCNP, students must earn least a B average in the courses.
  
  For more information regarding admission and application to the UNR program, please refer to the link, https://www.unr.edu/degrees/nuclear-packaging/certificate, or contact the Program Officer, Dawn Snyder at dawnas@unr.edu or by telephone at (800) 233-8928.


• FY 2019 Course Schedule: Listed below are the Packaging Certification Program (PCP) courses planned in FY 2019.  Courses with ME 6xx prefixes are available for graduate credit at University of Nevada, Reno.  Registration information and course fees will be emailed to RAMPAC subscribers (click here and follow the instructions to be added to the RAMPAC email list) and posted on this page when the registration websites are activated.  Note to DOE/DOE Contractors:  DOE PCP courses are an exempted event and therefore are not subject to the conference management approval and reporting process. (see Exemption approval for PCP_Courses_FY19)

Click on a Course title in the Table below to see the full course description and registration information.

Date (tentative)	Title (course fee)	Location
March 18-22, 2019	ME 692 – Quality Assurance for Radioactive Material Packaging ($1,700)	Argonne, IL
April 8-12, 2019	RAM Packaging QC/QA: Part 1 – Welding / NDE Quality Control, & Part 2 – Software Quality Assurance (​TBD)	Livermore, CA
May 14-18, 2019	ME 696 - Management of SARP Preparation ($1,439.25)	Aiken, SC
June 17-21, 2019	ME 691 – ASME Pressure Vessel Code for Nuclear Transport and Storage ($1,700)	Argonne, IL
July 8-12, 2019	ME 697 - Radioactive Material Package Operations and Leak Testing ($1,644.25)	Aiken, SC
July 22-26, 2019	Containment Analysis of Radioactive Material Transportation Packages (TBD)	Livermore, CA
August 13-16 & 19-22, 2019	ME 695 – Methods for Reviewing Safety Analysis Reports for Packages and Performing Confirmatory Analysis (​TBD)	Pleasanton, CA
September 9-13, 2019	ME 694D – Nuclear and Other Radioactive Materials Transport Security - Domestic ($1,800)	Argonne, IL
September 16-20, 2019	ME 690 – Radiation and Nuclear Criticality Analysis of RAM Packages Safety (TBD)	Oak Ridge, TN
September 24-26, 2019	SARP Generalist - Radiation Shielding and Nuclear Criticality Safety (​TBD)	Oak Ridge, TN
TBD	ME 698 – Thermal Modeling and Testing of RAM Packages (TBD)	Albuquerque, NM
Any time	ME 699 – Nuclear Packaging Internships	commercial or government nuclear facilities

• ME 690 - Radiation and Nuclear Criticality Analysis of RAM Packages, 1 credit, September 16-20, 2019, offered at the National Transportation Research Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN:  The course will provide detailed training on the radioactive material package shielding analyses and NCS evaluation fundamentals needed by analysts/practitioners (i.e., safety analysts and/or technical reviewers) to prepare and/or review technical analyses for the SARP documentation.  The Analyst Course also provides an overview of regulations and guidelines in addition to detailed in-class exercises associated with the package shielding and NCS analyses.  With regard to the in-class exercises, analysis teams will be faced with “staged” SARP examples in which a number of important decision processes in the generation of a SARP will be demonstrated and discussed.
  
  If you have any questions or interest in attending this course in FY19, please contact Douglas G. Bowen at (865) 576-0315 or bowendg@ornl.gov.  


• ME 691 - ASME Pressure Vessel Code for Nuclear Transport and Storage, 1 credit ($1,700 tuition and course materials), June 17-21, 2019, offered at the Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL:  The objective of this 4.5-day course is to help participants gain an understanding of the regulatory basis, current design practice, and engineering rationale for applying the ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code to the packaging and transportation of radioactive material and the storage of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste. Course highlights include lectures on the following: overview of federal regulations that govern (1) packaging and transportation of radioactive material and (2) dry cask storage systems for spent nuclear fuel; DOE Orders and NRC guidance documents, including standard review plans, regulatory guides, and NUREG reports; DOE/NRC lessons learned from certifying transportation packages and licensing dry cask storage systems; discussion of the ASME Code, with emphasis on Section III, Division 3, Containments for Transportation and Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High Level Radioactive Material and Waste, and discussion of Section III, Division 1; Section VIII, Division 1; and Sections II, IX, and XI; code and non-Code materials, containment loadings, design considerations with emphasis on design-by-analysis rules, and design of internal support structures; fabrication, welding, examination, quality assurance, test requirements, design qualification by physical testing, and containment/confinement requirements for leakage rates; structural, thermal, containment/confinement; shielding and criticality safety analysis considerations; aging management programs and time-limited aging analyses; and inspection and monitoring technologies.
  
  If you are interested in attending this course in FY19, please contact Sharon Ryan at (630) 252-3754 or ryans@anl.gov.


• ME 692 - QA for Radioactive Material Packaging, 1 credit ($1,700 tuition and course materials), March 18-22, 2019, offered at the Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL:  The objective of this one-week course is to help participants gain a working knowledge of the quality assurance (QA) principles and methods for satisfying those regulatory safety requirements for packagings and casks used in the transportation and storage of radioactive material, including spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste.  Course highlights include the following: overview of federal regulations that govern (1) packaging and transportation of radioactive material and (2) dry cask storage systems for spent nuclear fuel; DOE Orders and NRC guidance documents, including Regulatory Guides, NUREG reports, and Standard Review Plans; ASME NQA-1 requirements on organization, quality assurance program, design control, inspection, test control, corrective action, and others; test requirements: ASME Code & 10 CFR 71/72 and Best Practices in Type B Packaging Testing; ANSI N14.5 Leakage Rate Testing; commercial-grade dedication and software QA; graded approach to establish QA requirements for components important to safety (small-group exercise); lessons-learned from QA audits and inspections at facilities using packagings and casks; DOE Quality Assurance Approval Program (QAAP) for transportation packagings; and DOE PCP packaging certification process and lessons learned.
  
  If you are interested in attending this course in FY19, please contact Sharon Ryan at (630) 252-3754 or ryans@anl.gov.


• ME 694D - Nuclear and Other Radioactive Materials Transport Security – Domestic, 1 credit ($1800 tuition and course materials), September 9-13, 2019, offered at the Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL:  The objective of this 4.5-day course is to help participants gain a detailed working knowledge and understanding of U.S.-domestic requirements, recommendations and guidelines for security during the transport of nuclear and other radioactive materials by all modes of transport.  In addition, the course will also provide an overview of related international requirements for security during transport, and will address procedures and methodologies that can be used to establish and enhance security during transport.  More specifically, it will address the domestic requirements for security during transport that arise from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) while also providing insights into regulations and recommendations emanating from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other relevant international and regional modal transport organizations.  The course will provide guidance on how to develop transport security systems by following a graded approach and applying modern technologies; how to establish safe havens and apply rules of engagement for escort, guard force and emergency response personnel; how to communicate amongst involved stake holders and public during emergencies; and how to develop transport security plans (TSPs) that satisfy regulatory security requirements.  The course will incorporate hands-on exercises involving TSPs, readiness reviews, and corrective actions; and a field exercise using the ARG-US remote monitoring system to track a mock shipment with “staged incidents.”  The course will also make extensive use of table top exercises (TTXs) to facilitate learning through role playing, discussions and group reports.  Two facility tours are included for the Nuclear Energy Discovery Exhibit and the ARG-US Command and Control Center.
  
  Please contact Sharon Ryan at (630) 252-3754 or ryans@anl.gov to reserve a seat and she will contact you after online registration is open.


• ME 694I - Nuclear and Other Radioactive Materials Transport Security – International, 1 credit, offered at the Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL:  The objective of this 4.5-day course is to help participants gain a detailed working knowledge and understanding of international requirements, recommendations and guidelines for security during the transport of nuclear and other radioactive materials by all modes of transport.  In addition, the course will also provide an overview of related domestic requirements for the U.S. and other countries, and will address procedures and methodologies that can be used to establish and enhance security during transport.  More specifically, the course will outline the risks posed by the transport of radioactive materials and the resulting need for security during transport.  It will address the international recommendations for security during transport that arise from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); and international regulatory requirements and recommendations as set forth by relevant international and regional modal transport organizations, including the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).  The course will provide guidance on how to develop transport security systems by following a graded approach and applying modern technologies; how to establish safe havens and apply rules of engagement for escort, guard force and emergency response personnel; how to communicate amongst involved stake holders and public during emergencies; and how to develop transport security plans (TSPs) that satisfy regulatory security requirements.  The course will incorporate hands-on exercises involving TSPs, readiness reviews, and corrective actions; and a field exercise using the ARG-US remote monitoring system to track a mock shipment with “staged incidents.”  The course will also make extensive use of table top exercises (TTXs) to facilitate learning by role playing, discussions and group highlights.  Two facility tours are included for the Nuclear Energy Discovery Exhibit and the ARG-US Command and Control Center. 
  
  If you have any questions concerning this course, please contact Sharon Ryan at (630) 252-3754 or ryans@anl.gov.


• ME 695 - Methods for Reviewing Safety Analysis Reports for Packages and Performing Confirmatory Analysis, 2 credits, August 13-16 & 19-22, 2019, Pleasanton, CA:  This course addresses the nine chapters of a Safety Analysis Report for Packaging (SARP):
  
     1.  General Information
     2.  Structural
     3.  Thermal
     4.  Containment
     5.  Shielding
     6.  Criticality
     7.  Package Operations
     8.  Acceptance Tests and Maintenance Program
     9.  Quality Assurance
  
  The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has presented this Course since 1986.  This course has a focus on Type ”B” Radioactive Material Transportation Packages as defined in Title 10 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations, Part 71 (10 CFR 71).
  
  Prospective students should have a minimum of a B.S. in nuclear, chemical, or mechanical engineering, or equivalent education or experience.  
  
  If you are interested in attending this course in FY19, please contact Amber Rocha at (925) 422-8847 or rocha23@llnl.gov.  


• ME 696 - Management of SARP Preparation, 1 credit ($1,439.25 tuition and course materials), May 14-18, 2019, offered at the University of South Carolina - Aiken, Aiken, SC:  This course provides a basic understanding of the steps necessary to manage the development, submission, and utilization of a Safety Analysis Report for Packaging (SARP).  This course covers: the regulatory requirements, guidance, and applicable codes and standards used during the development of the SARP; templates for the development of the SARP writing team and for estimating the scope, schedule, and cost associated with the development of the SARP; various ways to evaluate radioactive material packages as well as format and write the SARP; the internal and external reviews associated with a SARP, as well as interaction with the regulatory body that reviews the SARP for completeness; and the processes associated with renewals, exceptions, special permits, and decertifications.  Prospective participants include DOE and its contractors and other agency and industry personnel who are responsible for SARP management; SARP leads, writers, and developers; engineers and package designers; and others who support Type B and fissile radioactive material packaging and transportation operations.
  
  If you are interested in attending this course in FY19, please contact Dr. Ed Ketusky at (803) 725-2641 or edward.ketusky@srnl.doe.gov.  


• ME 697 - Radioactive Material Package Operation and Leak Testing, 1 credit ($1,644.25 tuition and course materials), July 8-12, 2019, offered at the University of South Carolina - Aiken, Aiken, SC:  The objective of this one-week training course is to provide a basic understanding of the steps necessary to operate and prepare radioactive material packages for shipment as well as perform pre-shipment (post-load) leak testing and routine maintenance. Proper operating and leak testing of radioactive material shipping packages is integral to the safe shipment and transport of radioactive material shipping packages. The course combines the discussion of proper operations (opening, loading, closing, maintenance, and handling) along with discussion of leak testing of radioactive material shipping packages and hands-on experience with both operating and leak testing of radioactive material shipping packages. The course consists of technical presentations, discussions, applicable videos, examples, hands-on exercises, and team exercises; all with emphasis on practical approaches to the development, evaluation and implementation of programs for the operation and leak testing of radioactive material shipping packages.
  
  The primary audience for this course is individuals that prepare, load/unload, operate (open/close), and maintain Type B, Type AF, and Type A packages for shipment of radioactive materials, those that prepare procedures and documentation related to these activities, as well as supervisors and managers of these individuals. 
  
  If you are interested in attending this course in FY19, please contact Bradley Loftin at (803) 725-5319 or bradley.loftin@srnl.doe.gov.  


• ME 698 - Thermal Modeling and Testing of RAM Packages, 1 credit, Spring 2019, offered ​at the Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque, NM:  The DOE Packaging Certification Program (PCP) is sponsoring the 3^rd annual course on Thermal Modeling and Testing of RAM Packages.  This course provides a comprehensive overview on thermal modeling & analysis and testing practices used to evaluate radioactive material (RAM) packages for certification by DOE or NRC.  The course provides an overview of the following topics:
  
     •   regulatory requirements,
     •   finite element heat transfer modeling,
     •   computational fluids dynamics (fire) modeling,
     •   phenomena ranking,
     •   measurements and uncertainty,
     •   Safety Analysis Report for Packages (SARP) issues, and
     •   design and performance of thermal testing, including open pool fire, radiant heat, and furnace testing.
  
  The Course will be delivered over four and a half days at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM.  Course activities include certification analysis of RAM packages and exposure to instrumentation installation and field applications.  The Course is taught by members of the technical staff actively engaged in package testing and analysis at Sandia National Laboratories.  These Instructors will also provide tours of the Sandia test facilities, such as the Thermal Test Complex and Lurance Canyon (indoor and outdoor), and lead in-depth discussions of practices and lessons learned at these test sites and from many years of modeling experience.  A written exam will be administered and reviewed at the end of the course.  The course is open to US and non‐US Citizens.  The number of participants is limited to 30.
  
  Prospective participants should be DOE and its contractors and other agency and industry personnel who are responsible for designing, evaluating, or testing Type B and fissile material transportation packages, as well as for preparing or reviewing the associated safety analysis reports.  
  
  If you are interested in attending this course in FY19, please contact Elizabeth Madril at (505) 845-0605 or edmadri@sandia.gov.


• ME 699 - Nuclear Packaging Internships, 3 credits, available to start at any time for employees or interns at commercial or government nuclear facilities:  
  Supervised independent use of engineering and/or project management skills for project planning, performance, and communications related to packaging of nuclear and other radioactive materials at commercial or government nuclear facilities (Site).  The Student Intern must identify a Site Supervisor and a University of Nevada, Reno Faculty Member.  The Intern must work with the Faculty Member and Supervisor to propose an approximately 270-hour nuclear-packaging-related internship, and present midterm and final reports that emphasis professionalism.  The Intern must spend at least 120 hours at the internship Site.  The final report will demonstrate the student’s abilities to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems; explain professional and ethical responsibilities; communicate effectively; understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and social context; engage in life-long learning, and identify and analyze contemporary issues related to nuclear materials.
  
  If you have any questions about this course, please identify the Site Supervisor at the commercial or government nuclear facility where the internship will be served, and have that person contact Professor Miles Greiner at (775) 784-4873 or greiner@unr.edu.  


• Containment Analysis of Radioactive Material Transportation Packages, July 22-26, 2019, offered ​at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA:  This course addresses the requirements, guides, standards, calculations, quality assurance, quality control, components, and operations of Type B(U), Type B(M), and fissile material packaging containment / confinement systems.  The course includes detailed guidance on the calculation of containment vessel pressure, satisfaction of the regulatory requirements using guidance in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) N14.5 standard, and operational considerations and cautions for containment vessel leakage rate testing.  Additionally, the course addresses flammable gas generation, approaches for limiting flammable gas generation and the concurrent deflagration and detonation hazards associated with flammable gas mixtures.  The course includes practical demonstrations of both: (1) nondestructive examination techniques used to evaluate the quality of containment vessels, as well as (2) leakage testing demonstrations with best practices and lessons-learned.  The course has a special focus on the hazards that can develop when Type B or fissile material transportation packages are used for interim storage of materials either prior to or after transport.  The concerns associated with using a transportation package for storage are discussed, including over-pressurization, the potential for generation of flammable gas mixtures, and methods for controlling contents to prevent these hazards.
  
  The primary audience for this course is individuals that design or evaluate Type B packaging containment systems or fissile material packaging confinement systems to demonstrate compliance with requirements of 10 CFR Part 71, Subpart E.
  
  The course is presented over a five-day period from July 22nd to July 26, 2019 at the Livermore Valley Open Campus, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA.
  
  If you are interested in attending this course in FY19, please contact Amber Rocha at (925) 422-8847 or rocha23@llnl.gov.  


• Radioactive Material Packaging QC/QA: Part 1 Welding/NDE Quality Control, & Part 2 Software Quality Assurance, offered ​at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA:  This course is delivered in two parts.  Part 1 provides background and detailed guidance into the review and evaluation process of Safety Analysis Reports for Packaging (SARP) relative to welding and nondestructive examination (NDE).  The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel code is highlighted as the metric to quantify the welding and NDE safety requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 71 (10CFR71).  Detailed coverage of the ASME Code Sections II, III, V, VIII, and IX is included relative to SARP preparation and review.  Also, provided are presentations and demos regarding welding and examination technology; terms/definitions; examination of metals/weldments for common defects; and qualification of welding/NDE procedures and personnel.  Quality Assurance (QA) information relative to the requirements of 10CFR71, Subpart H, and ASME Nuclear Quality Assurance (NQA-1) is presented.  (Part 1 is 2.5-days)
  
  Part 2 of the course addresses Software Quality Assurance (SQA) relative to Radioactive Active Material Packaging, including applicable regulatory documents, as well as the consensus standards that serve as metrics to meet safety requirements.   SQA fundamental concepts are covered in the following sessions: terminology, requirements management, risk management, configuration management, and testing techniques.   Also covered is an overview of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/ASME NQA-1 sections relative to SQA, as well as practical descriptions of NQA-1 compliance details regarding commercial grade dedication of software, supplier evaluation/audits, and corrective actions.   Finally, a summary is presented of the quality assurance aspects verification and validation of finite element analysis (FEA) models and analyses.  (Part 2 is 2.5-days)
  
  The course will be delivered over a 6-day period, at the Livermore Valley Open Campus, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory,Livermore, CA.  Parts 1 and 2 of the course can be taken separately if desired.
  
  If you are interested in attending this course in FY19, please contact Amber Rocha at (925) 422-8847 or rocha23@llnl.gov.  


• The SARP Generalist Course, September 24-26, 2019, at the National Transportation Research Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN: is designed for project managers, supervisors, Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS)/Shielding subject matter experts (SME), or SMEs in non-NCS/shielding technical areas (e.g., structural, thermal, package design, etc.) who need to better understand how the NCS/Shielding analyses fit in the broader SARP documentation.  Specifically, the Generalist Course provides an overview of the regulations and guidelines for the criticality and shielding analysis for a SARP, and the course shows how the NCS/shielding chapters integrate with the other parts of the SARP.  Students in the Generalist Course will review an actual SARP document after the course material is presented to emphasize the key elements of the shielding and criticality analyses.  
  
  If you are interested in attending this course in FY19, please contact Douglas G. Bowen at (865) 576-0315 or bowendg@ornl.gov.  

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