Technical Visit – Belgian Reactor 2 (BR2)

This technical visit is intended to introduce the unique features of the Belgian Reactor 2, the most performing operating material test reactor in Europe today.  A selected panel of experts from the operator and user community  will highlight the different trends in current R&D for applications of nuclear technology and how the BR2 reactor is contributing in scientific and technological areas, such as energy production and safety, medical applications of nuclear technology and cutting edge fundamental physics.

Hourly Schedule

9:00 - 9:15
Introduction on BNS and ENGIE workshops
Speakers:
Alex Pirard, Sammy Shihab
9:15 - 9:45
Introduction to the BR2 reactor
Speakers:
Steven Van Dyck
9:45 - 10:15
The safety case for aged reactor vessels with production defaults
Speakers:
R. Gérard
10:15 - 10:45
Predicting material degradation in support of ageing analysis of reactor vessels
Speakers:
Marc Scibetta
10:45 - 11:00
Coffee break
11:00 - 11:30
Selecting the materials for future energy sources: fusion reactor materials under irradiation
Speakers:
Dmitry Terentyev
11:30 - 12:00
Using research reactors for fundamental science: in search for the sterile anti-neutrino
Speakers:
Nick Van Remortel
12:00 - 13:30
Lunch break
13:30 - 14:00
Test reactor irradiations in support of power reactor fuel research and development
Speakers:
Marc Verwerft
14:00 - 14:30
Making the world a safer place: reducing the use of highly enriched uranium
Speakers:
Steven Van Dyck
14:30 - 15:00
The production of radio-isotopes in the BR2: past performance and future prospects
Speakers:
Bernard Ponsard
15:00 - 15:30
Coffee Break
15:30 - 16:00
Biological effects of radiation: the use of radiopharmaceuticals to kill tumors
Speakers:
Sarah Baatout
16:00 - 16:30
The beneficial use of Radiations in medical applications: a Belgian approach
Speakers:
R. Hustinx
16:30 - 16:45
Closure of the workshop
Speakers:
Vincent Massaut
16:45 - 18:00
Drink – Networking
Alex Pirard
ENGIE
Sammy Shihab
SCK•CEN
Steven Van Dyck
SCK•CEN
R. Gérard
ENGIE
Marc Scibetta
SCK•CEN
Dmitry Terentyev
SCK•CEN
Nick Van Remortel
University of Antwerp
Marc Verwerft
Group Leader Fuel Materials at SCK•CEN
Dr. Marc Verwerft graduated in physics at the University of Antwerp in 1987 and obtained his PhD as fellow of the FWO on “Modulated phases in ceramics” in 1991. After his military service, he joined the University of Groningen as lecturer from 1992 to 1994. Since 1994, he is researcher at SCK•CEN where he first headed the microstructure research group and is now head of the fuel materials group. Apart from more fundamental research, he coordinated several international research projects on nuclear fuel amongst which two successive EU framework projects on thorium-based MOX.
Bernard Ponsard
SCK•CEN
Sarah Baatout
Head of the Radiobiology Unit at SCK•CEN
Sarah Baatout graduated in 1991 with a Licence in Biology from UCL (Louvain-la-Neuve). In 1996, she obtained a PhD in Biochemistry from UCL in the field of oncology working on aggressive blood cancers. She joined SCK•CEN in 1996 as a postdoc to perform research on the impact of radiation on the embryo in the Radiobiology Unit and is head of this unit since 2007. Besides, she is Guest-Professor at Ghent University (Faculty of Bioengineering Sciences) and maître de conférence at the University of Namur (Faculty of Sciences). She is also member of the Belgian delegation at UNSCEAR (United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation) and of the High Council for Health. In 2018, she has received the “BeSpace personality of the year” award and was recognized by Femmes d’Aujourdhui as one of the “85 women that make Belgium move”. She has received the Wetrems prize from the Royal Academy for Sciences and Arts of Belgium for the best discovery in the field of natural sciences. The Radiobiology Unit of SCK•CEN counts a dynamic staff of 25 people (out of which 12 current PhD students working in close collaboration with the various Belgian Universities and hospitals). The mission is to evaluate the potential risks of ionising radiation on health and to provide the scientific background for occupational, accidental, medical or space radiation exposure allowing a more accurate radiation risk assessment. Medical research is central in radiobiology. The lab seeks to understand the molecular processes modulated with radiation and their relationship with health effects on exposed patients, astronauts and nuclear workers. Through the use of biomarkers and personalised medicine, the individual radiation sensitivity could at term be monitored and radiotherapeutical treatment adapted to each cancer patients. The lab is also active in the Belgian Hadrontherapy Consortium and participates in the research on protontherapy. Communication to the scientific community, the general and young public our knowledge and our research results through visits and organization of summer schools & Eur Msc courses in radiobiology is also very important in Radiobiology. Presently, Sarah Baatout is also secretary/treasurer of the European Radiation Research Society. Since 2012, she is also member of the “Space” working group of the senate. She is also a member of various expert and audit groups as well as advising committees for the European Commission and the European Space Agency. She is/has been the promoters of 4 Postdocs and of 14 PhD students. She is the (co-)author of some 140 international papers.
R. Hustinx
BelNuc
Vincent Massaut
Vincent Massaut
Vincent Massaut graduated as MSc in Engineering, electro-mechanics and nuclear engineering, from the University of Liège (1982), He has spent most of his career at the SCK CEN in Mol (Belgian Nuclear Research Center). Before his retirement in December 2022, he was Deputy Director Business Development & Support at SCK CEN, that included aspects of waste & decommissioning, fusion & fission material research, space R&D, medical applications, radioprotection, to cite a few. Before that, he was Director of the fusion technology research at SCK CEN (2007-2014) after having spent 2 years at EFDA in Garching (Germany) as officer Safety & Environment. He was also member of the F4E Technical Advisory Panel (TAP). In his first years, he was active in decommissioning, as Project Manager of the BR3 (PWR 11 MWe) European pilot decommissioning project. He was also Chairman of OECD/NEA WPDD for 1 year and a member of various international expert committees on decommissioning (EC, IAEA, OECD/NEA, US-Academy). He is currently Chairman of the Board of Framatome Belgium SA. He is the author of numerous papers and lectures on Decommissioning Nuclear facilities and on Fusion technology, materials, radwaste management and safety. Vincent was also Chairman of the Belgian Nuclear Society from 2017 till 2021, period where we celebrated our 50-years anniversary.

Date

Oct 26, 2016
Expired!

Time

9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Location

SCK•CEN
Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol
Category

Speakers

  • Alex Pirard ENGIE
    Alex Pirard
    ENGIE
  • Bernard Ponsard SCK•CEN
    Bernard Ponsard
    SCK•CEN
  • Dmitry Terentyev SCK•CEN
    Dmitry Terentyev
    SCK•CEN
  • Marc Scibetta SCK•CEN
    Marc Scibetta
    SCK•CEN
  • Marc Verwerft Group Leader Fuel Materials at SCK•CEN
    Marc Verwerft
    Group Leader Fuel Materials at SCK•CEN

    Dr. Marc Verwerft graduated in physics at the University of Antwerp in 1987 and obtained his PhD as fellow of the FWO on “Modulated phases in ceramics” in 1991. After his military service, he joined the University of Groningen as lecturer from 1992 to 1994. Since 1994, he is researcher at SCK•CEN where he first headed the microstructure research group and is now head of the fuel materials group. Apart from more fundamental research, he coordinated several international research projects on nuclear fuel amongst which two successive EU framework projects on thorium-based MOX.

  • Nick Van Remortel University of Antwerp
    Nick Van Remortel
    University of Antwerp
  • R. Gérard ENGIE
    R. Gérard
    ENGIE
  • R. Hustinx BelNuc
    R. Hustinx
    BelNuc
  • Sammy Shihab SCK•CEN
    Sammy Shihab
    SCK•CEN
  • Sarah Baatout Head of the Radiobiology Unit at SCK•CEN
    Sarah Baatout
    Head of the Radiobiology Unit at SCK•CEN

    Sarah Baatout graduated in 1991 with a Licence in Biology from UCL (Louvain-la-Neuve). In 1996, she obtained a PhD in Biochemistry from UCL in the field of oncology working on aggressive blood cancers. She joined SCK•CEN in 1996 as a postdoc to perform research on the impact of radiation on the embryo in the Radiobiology Unit and is head of this unit since 2007. Besides, she is Guest-Professor at Ghent University (Faculty of Bioengineering Sciences) and maître de conférence at the University of Namur (Faculty of Sciences). She is also member of the Belgian delegation at UNSCEAR (United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation) and of the High Council for Health. In 2018, she has received the “BeSpace personality of the year” award and was recognized by Femmes d’Aujourdhui as one of the “85 women that make Belgium move”. She has received the Wetrems prize from the Royal Academy for Sciences and Arts of Belgium for the best discovery in the field of natural sciences.

    The Radiobiology Unit of SCK•CEN counts a dynamic staff of 25 people (out of which 12 current PhD students working in close collaboration with the various Belgian Universities and hospitals). The mission is to evaluate the potential risks of ionising radiation on health and to provide the scientific background for occupational, accidental, medical or space radiation exposure allowing a more accurate radiation risk assessment.

    Medical research is central in radiobiology. The lab seeks to understand the molecular processes modulated with radiation and their relationship with health effects on exposed patients, astronauts and nuclear workers. Through the use of biomarkers and personalised medicine, the individual radiation sensitivity could at term be monitored and radiotherapeutical treatment adapted to each cancer patients. The lab is also active in the Belgian Hadrontherapy Consortium and participates in the research on protontherapy.

    Communication to the scientific community, the general and young public our knowledge and our research results through visits and organization of summer schools & Eur Msc courses in radiobiology is also very important in Radiobiology.

    Presently, Sarah Baatout is also secretary/treasurer of the European Radiation Research Society. Since 2012, she is also member of the “Space” working group of the senate. She is also a member of various expert and audit groups as well as advising committees for the European Commission and the European Space Agency. She is/has been the promoters of 4 Postdocs and of 14 PhD students. She is the (co-)author of some 140 international papers.

  • Steven Van Dyck SCK•CEN
    Steven Van Dyck
    SCK•CEN
  • Vincent Massaut Vincent Massaut
    Vincent Massaut
    Vincent Massaut

    Vincent Massaut graduated as MSc in Engineering, electro-mechanics and nuclear engineering, from the University of Liège (1982), He has spent most of his career at the SCK CEN in Mol (Belgian Nuclear Research Center). Before his retirement in December 2022, he was Deputy Director Business Development & Support at SCK CEN, that included aspects of waste & decommissioning, fusion & fission material research, space R&D, medical applications, radioprotection, to cite a few. Before that, he was Director of the fusion technology research at SCK CEN (2007-2014) after having spent 2 years at EFDA in Garching (Germany) as officer Safety & Environment. He was also member of the F4E Technical Advisory Panel (TAP). In his first years, he was active in decommissioning, as Project Manager of the BR3 (PWR 11 MWe) European pilot decommissioning project. He was also Chairman of OECD/NEA WPDD for 1 year and a member of various international expert committees on decommissioning (EC, IAEA, OECD/NEA, US-Academy). He is currently Chairman of the Board of Framatome Belgium SA. He is the author of numerous papers and lectures on Decommissioning Nuclear facilities and on Fusion technology, materials, radwaste management and safety. Vincent was also Chairman of the Belgian Nuclear Society from 2017 till 2021, period where we celebrated our 50-years anniversary.

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