Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Summer Experience-Intern at Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center

This post is in a series about RPI SWE members and their experiences in industry and research over the summer! Check out all the posts to learn more about what our members achieved this summer!

Intern at Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center
By: Emily Frantz, Nuclear Engineering '15

This past summer I applied to countless internships and while I did receive interviews, I was not offered a position any where.  Discouraged, I seeked guidance from my academic advisor who knowing I'm from Lil' Rhodey, asked if I had ever heard of RINSC.  I had not, so I called and assuming their deadline for intern applications had past, I inquired about perhaps getting a tour and how to apply for next year.  By a lucky set of circumstances, they had delayed their search for interns because they were hiring a new facility director and would like for me to submit an application!  If you are having difficulty finding a position, keep trying and working towards it.  It will pay off!

I began work in June training in reactor operations and maintenance.  RINSC is a small research facility with a staff of about ten, then various students and researchers that use the facility, and two interns.  It is the home of Rhode Island's sole nuclear reactor!  The RINSC reactor was built in 1960 and went critical in 1964. It is a 2 Mega-Watt, light water cooled, pool type reactor. For over 50 years it has provided valuable data to researchers and students.  I had the opportunity to train in how to start up the reactor, perform various tests (weekly, monthly, and annually), calibrate various detectors, and many other tasks.  One of my projects was to plan and execute the annual emergency preparedness test.  The situation was a forest fire near the main entrance to the building, where we also store large propane tanks for the generators that had the potential to explode.  After our practice evacuation, I led the discussion on actions we need to take in the future, what we could have done better, and lapses in our procedures.

This was an incredible experience and I highly recommend that everyone takes the opportunity to work as an intern!  I will be returning to RINSC in December to work over winter break and potentially again next summer.

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