New nuclear engineering graduate

[Nichole]

Hi, I recently graduated with a BS in nuclear engineering and am currently searching for a job. I keep running into jobs that look like (to me anyway) jobs for nuclear engineers but the companies are asking for other engineers (i.e., mechanical, civil, etc.) with nuclear industry experience. My question(s) is/are, do these companies not want nukes? Or is it possible that they have given up asking for them? Is a nuclear engineer with no experience somehow equivalent to, say, a mechanical engineer with nuclear experience?

Please help, and if these questions have been previously answered, please direct me to the post(s). I have been reading through posts for the last several days and have not stumbled upon one regarding my current situation. I would try the search function, but I am not quite sure how to phrase it. Thank you kindly. Much appreciation and gratitude for this site, it is a wealth of information that I will pass along to my fellow (ex-)classmates.

Best regards,

Nichole

[GLW]

,....................

look here;

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,23624.0.html

and here

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,21708.0.html

and here

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,13389.0.html

and here

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,34947.0.html

and this entire forum in general

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/board,139.0.html

and perhaps this one

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php?action=search2   (look for the term NUPOC)

which school?!?!?

please don't let it be RPI,...

[Nichole]

Thanks for the links, I will go check them out soon! I graduated from Missouri University of Science and Technology. I had to look up RPI on the web as I have never heard of it before. What's wrong with graduating from there?

[cheme09]

Is a nuclear engineer with no experience somehow equivalent to, say, a mechanical engineer with nuclear experience?

It really depends on what company and what kinds of positions you are looking at.  At a power plant, the answer may be "yes".  For example, the power plant I work at has an engineering department of approximately 100 people, and you can count on one hand the number of engineers whose job directly deals with the core (flux maps, calorimetric, shutdown margin, etc).  Granted, we have a whole department at corporate that deals with core design, safety analysis, fuel performance and the like, but I'm just talking about engineers here at the plant.

That's not to say we don't want to hire nukes, but when you look at what we're here to do (make electricity), nuclear engineers really only have a small role at the plant.  There's only one core per unit, but tons of valves, pipes, pumps, sensors, breakers, controlers, etc.  Look at Crystal River and SONGS, two plants that have been shutdown for extended periods of time for reasons unrelated to their fuel integrity or performance.

You'll find more demand for a nuke degree in organizations or companies one or more degrees away from the power plant.  Not at the station, but at the utilities core design or safety analysis group.  Or not at a utility but at a vendor like Areva, Bechtel, Westinghouse, B&W, etc.  But keep in mind even when you go to places like B&W that are designing reactors, there will still be a fair amount of demand for those mechanical engineering types with nuclear experience because they'll tend to be more apt at designing other systems.

[Nichole]

Thanks cheme09, your response looks like an email I received from a company to which I submitted a resume. The response was quite friendly and explained (although their job posting specifically requested nuclear engineers) they had found that MEs and ChemE's best fit their staffing needs due to their having multiple courses in heat transfer and fluid mechanics. He went on to list several companies and organizations that possibly would hire nukes. Unfortunately, they were all companies to which I had already submitted resumes (most of which I have not heard from since submitting.)

I guess it's possible that I need to cool my heels a bit and wait for someone to get around to calling me, but after 6 years of fast-paced education (I double majored) I'm not very good at sitting still and doing nothing. I'm also afraid that if I have to wait much longer, I WILL get used to sitting still...

[eaton1981]

Nichole,

One of the Shift Supervisors at the Navy's prototype in Ballston Spa, NY graduated from the same program as you (she is a civilian). She has done EXCEPTIONALLY well in her career.

With that said, almost anyone on here will tell you that working as a civilian at the prototypes definitely has its downsides. However, the pay is pretty damn good once you make it through power school and NPE qualifications.

Just an option for you to consider.

And yes, they're hiring currently.

[Frank Cable]

Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Is that in Rolla?

[Nuclear NASCAR]

Yes it is.  Formerly known as the University of Missouri-Rolla.

[Nichole]

eaton1981: I looked up Ballston Spa and it looks like a really nice area! Also stumbled across an article about a couple of "spies" who were caught with a hand drawn map of the place. Is it really supposed to be hush-hush? The article was older, so has it been declassified since? Just curious. I also wonder if I would know or know of the shift supervisor you mentioned. How long has she been there? What is the power school like? I ask because it sounds like you have been there.

AS40: Like Nuclear NASCAR stated, yes MS&T is in Rolla and was formerly known as University of Missouri-Rolla, and before that Missouri School of Mines. It's nice to see that people have actually heard of the school. While I was there, everyone made it sound like it was THE school to go to for an engineering degree, but I wasn't sure if people from other places had actually heard of it before. I know schools like to talk themselves up, so I wasn't sure how much was just hype. I only chose to go to it because it was the only "good" school that was within driving distance from my house. I chose nuclear engineering because it seemed like a challenging program that would set me up for a good career. I came from (very) humble beginnings and began going to school with no idea of what a nuclear engineer was or did When I found out that we designed nuclear power plants, I figured NEs would be in high demand in the future.

I just hope that the Fukushima accident hasn't soured public opinion too much. It's rather unfair (of the public) to base opinions about nuclear power on the older designs, when the newer ones are so much better equipped with safety features.

[GLW]

....When I found out that we designed nuclear power plants, I figured NEs would be in high demand in the future. ...

What was your senior project?

[Fermi2]

eaton1981: I looked up Ballston Spa and it looks like a really nice area! Also stumbled across an article about a couple of "spies" who were caught with a hand drawn map of the place. Is it really supposed to be hush-hush? The article was older, so has it been declassified since? Just curious. I also wonder if I would know or know of the shift supervisor you mentioned. How long has she been there? What is the power school like? I ask because it sounds like you have been there.

AS40: Like Nuclear NASCAR stated, yes MS&T is in Rolla and was formerly known as University of Missouri-Rolla, and before that Missouri School of Mines. It's nice to see that people have actually heard of the school. While I was there, everyone made it sound like it was THE school to go to for an engineering degree, but I wasn't sure if people from other places had actually heard of it before. I know schools like to talk themselves up, so I wasn't sure how much was just hype. I only chose to go to it because it was the only "good" school that was within driving distance from my house. I chose nuclear engineering because it seemed like a challenging program that would set me up for a good career. I came from (very) humble beginnings and began going to school with no idea of what a nuclear engineer was or did When I found out that we designed nuclear power plants, I figured NEs would be in high demand in the future.

I just hope that the Fukushima accident hasn't soured public opinion too much. It's rather unfair (of the public) to base opinions about nuclear power on the older designs, when the newer ones are so much better equipped with safety features.

The new ones wouldn't have survived it any better than the old ones.

[Nichole]

GLW: We were tasked to redesign a Westinghouse PWR core specifically to reduce hydrogen production during DBAs. We were not given much freedom to get creative, so a lot of us were disappointed with the results.

Broadzilla: True, the design wasn't really the issue. It was more a combination of other factors. However, I know of someone who is working on a way to provide emergency cooling without the use of electricity. I do not know much more about his work other than that, but it sounds interesting. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

[GLW]

GLW: We were tasked to redesign a Westinghouse PWR core specifically to reduce hydrogen production during DBAs. We were not given much freedom to get creative, so a lot of us were disappointed with the results.....

Well, at least you had a reasonable introduction to how the real world works all too often,...

[Nichole]

Lol, yup! I often wish we could do things that made sense rather than dollars, but I don't see that happening anytime in the near (or even distant) future.

[Fermi2]

Broadzilla: True, the design wasn't really the issue. It was more a combination of other factors. However, I know of someone who is working on a way to provide emergency cooling without the use of electricity. I do not know much more about his work other than that, but it sounds interesting. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Yeah uh right.

[Marlin]

GLW: We were tasked to redesign a Westinghouse PWR core specifically to reduce hydrogen production during DBAs. We were not given much freedom to get creative, so a lot of us were disappointed with the results.

Broadzilla: True, the design wasn't really the issue. It was more a combination of other factors. However, I know of someone who is working on a way to provide emergency cooling without the use of electricity. I do not know much more about his work other than that, but it sounds interesting. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Citations for each of these comments may give them more gravitas.

[Fermi2]

Or not. I'm pretty certain scientific evidence has proved snowflakes only survive in a zero gravity environment.

[HydroDave63]

Or not. I'm pretty certain scientific evidence has proved snowflakes only survive in a zero gravity environment.

No no no...the fractal design of the flake, plus the hydrogen bonds in the nano crystals on the leading edge create a micro-bubble of high aerodynamic drag, allowing the tiny beautiful snowflake to drift willy-nilly through the crisp winter air, until laid down gently atop millions of other snowflakes.....[spoiler] until some jerk like Brodzilla goes and steps on them with a big ol' bootprint!!   [/spoiler]

[Fermi2]

But then it dies

[HeavyD]

However, I know of someone who is working on a way to provide emergency cooling without the use of electricity. I do not know much more about his work other than that, but it sounds interesting. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Check out the AP1000 from Westinghouse, with AP standing for Advanced Passive.  Three projects currently under construction; Sanmen in China, Vogtle in Georgia and us (being VC Summer) in South Carolina.

Natural circ combined with some new approaches to old ideas.  I went into QA after retiring from the Navy, but I try and keep up with what is happening in the world of OPs still.  Will eventually get my SROC, but that is simply a piece of paper, nothing like having an actual license

[Fermi2]

Check out the AP1000 from Westinghouse, with AP standing for Advanced Passive.  Three projects currently under construction; Sanmen in China, Vogtle in Georgia and us (being VC Summer) in South Carolina.

Natural circ combined with some new approaches to old ideas.  I went into QA after retiring from the Navy, but I try and keep up with what is happening in the world of OPs still.  Will eventually get my SROC, but that is simply a piece of paper, nothing like having an actual license

Still relies on electricity and batteries. Just not initially.

[Ksheed]

I thought this thread was about a N.E. trying to getting a job. Now all the sudden it is snowing in Georgia and South Carolina and some punk rock chick is stopping around in her combat boots. Man I'm confused.

[HydroDave63]

I thought this thread was about a N.E. trying to getting a job. Now all the sudden it is snowing in Georgia and South Carolina and some punk rock chick is stopping around in her combat boots. Man I'm confused.

I think there is a cowboy somewhere with some stuff that will open your mind to understand all of it! 

[Nichole]

Wow, didn't think my post would stir up such controversy. I like your rules, Marlin, great advice to which I adhere  

The passive core cooling system of the AP1000 was the one we chose with which to equip our (senior design) core. I honestly do not remember any electrical components that were required. Mostly just recycling the steam generated during an accident back into water to be (re)used for continual core cooling. Please correct me if I am wrong  

Lol, ksheed12, I'm with you on that. I don't mind though, stomp away Broadzilla  

[Fermi2]

Wow, didn't think my post would stir up such controversy. I like your rules, Marlin, great advice to which I adhere  

The passive core cooling system of the AP1000 was the one we chose with which to equip our (senior design) core. I honestly do not remember any electrical components that were required. Mostly just recycling the steam generated during an accident back into water to be (re)used for continual core cooling. Please correct me if I am wrong  

Lol, ksheed12, I'm with you on that. I don't mind though, stomp away Broadzilla  

No different than a BWR3/4 on natural circulation via an IC or RCIC. The problem is you eventually have to make up water. It won't last forever. The long term impact is exactly the same.