Schedule

Monday, Thursday, 4:00 - 5:50, RCKTTS 211

Web Info: http://www.rpi.edu/~danony/Teach/PNR.htm

Catalog Description: Basic nuclear reactor theory; fuel cycles. Neutron diffusion and slowing down; critically analyses for homogeneous and heterogeneous systems; reactor kinetics and control; reactivity coefficients; fuel management. Reactor systems and types; reactor design. Power plant safety. Prerequisite: MANE-2400 or equivalent. Spring term annually. 4 credit hours.

Text Book

Duderstadt and Hamilton, Nuclear Reactor Analysis, John Wiley and Sons, 1976.

Additional References

John R. Lamarsh, Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Physics, Addison-Wesley, 1966.

George Bell, Samuel Glasstone, Nuclear Reactor Theory, Robert E. Krieger Publishing, 1985.

Weston M. Stacey, Nuclear Reactor Physics, John Wiley & Sons Inc. 2001

Description

The course will concentrate on the neutronics of thermal nuclear reactors. The topics will cover: neutron reactions and cross sections, the transport equation, the diffusion equation, solutions of the diffusion equation, criticality, multigroup methods, fast and thermal spectrum calculations, reactor kinetics, and heterogeneous lattice calculations.

Student Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course the student is expected to:

1. Be able to calculate neutron interaction probabilities

2. Demonstrate setup and solution of the diffusion equation in different geometries.

3. Demonstrate calculations of the multiplication factor in one and two groups.

4. Demonstrate calculations for numerical solution of the diffusion equation

5. Be able to solve the neutron slowing down equation

6. Demonstrate calculations of resonance integrals and resonance escape probabilities

7. Be able to solve the time dependent neutron equation

8. Be able to write and use solutions of the point kinetic equations

9. Demonstrate understanding of basic concepts in heterogeneous systems.

Course Assessment/measures

Homework

There are 8 homework assignments in this class. Assignments are due one week after assigned

Exams

There the course will have a mid term and final exam. Scheduling will be discussed in class.

Course Grade

Based on a weighted sum of the homework, midterm and final exams, as follows:

CG=0.4(average homework grade)+0.3 (midterm exam grade) +0.3(final exam grade)

CG is the course grade in a scale from 0 to 100, it will be converted to a letter scale by the following rules:

From	To	Final Grade	From	To	Final Grade
93	100	A	73	76	C
90	92	A-	70	72	C-
87	89	B+	60	69	D+
83	86	B	56	59	D
80	82	B-	0	55	F
77	79	C+

Attendance

Not required, however it is the student’s responsibility to be aware of homework assignments and examinations. Regular attendance is strongly recommended.

Academic Integrity

Student-teacher relationships are built on trust. For example, students must trust that teachers have made appropriate decisions about the structure and content of the courses they teach, and teachers must trust that the assignments that students turn in are their own. Acts, which violate this trust, undermine the educational process. The Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities defines various forms of Academic Dishonesty and you should make yourself familiar with these. In this class, all assignments that are turned in for a grade must represent the student’s own work. In cases where help was received, or teamwork was allowed, a notation on the assignment should indicate your collaboration. Submission of any assignment that is in violation of this policy will result in a grade reduction penalty. Late homework submission will also result in grade reduction penalty (to be discuses during the first class). If you have any question concerning this policy before submitting an assignment, please ask for clarification.