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2017　Nuclear Reactor Physics Laboratory

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Academic unit or major
Graduate major in Nuclear Engineering
Instructor(s)
Academic Supervisor 
Class Format
    
Media-enhanced courses
Day/Period(Room No.)
Thr5-6(North No.2, 5F-571)  
Group
-
Course number
NCL.N408
Credits
2
Academic year
2017
Offered quarter
2Q
Syllabus updated
2017/4/26
Lecture notes updated
-
Language used
English
Access Index

Course description and aims

The experiments will be basically performed at a nuclear facility, including Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA). The students will stay at the facility, for example, for one week for the experiments. Basically the criticality experiments, the control rods calibration experiment, and the neutron flux distribution measurement experiment are performed using light water moderated core. The training for the operation of nuclear reactor and safety check of nuclear facility are also performed.
For the safe use of nuclear energy, it is necessary to understand fundamental theory of reactor physics and maintenance for safety of nuclear facility. This class aims to deepen the understanding of them by the experiments and training.

Student learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. Explain the principles of the experiments such as criticality approach, control rod worth measurement, and neutron flux measurement.
2. Perform the fundamental safety operation of nuclear facilities
3. Perform critical calculations using group constants
4. Explain the theory of reactor kinetic calculation and activation by neutrons

Keywords

Reactor physics, Criticality approach, criticality calculation, reactor kinetics, neutron flux measurement

Competencies that will be developed

✔ Specialist skills Intercultural skills ✔ Communication skills Critical thinking skills ✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Pre-experiment lectures are provided before the experiments for the well understanding of the experiments. In the lectures, the outline of experimental apparatus, the principal of experiment, and the experiment procedure are explained. Students are requested to submit pre-report. The measurements and analyses are done by each student group. The group discussions about the experiment results are done after the experiments. Each student is requested to submit the experiment reports.

Course schedule/Required learning

  Course schedule Required learning
Class 1 Outline of experiments Students must be able to explain about the outline of experiments
Class 2 Treatment of radioactive materials Students must be able to treat radioactive materials safely.
Class 3 Theory in criticality approach experiment Students must be able to explain about the fundamental theory in critical approach experiment and perform criticality calculation.
Class 4 Theory in control rod worth measurement Students must be able to explain about the fundamental theory in control rod worth measurement
Class 5 Theory in neutron flux distribution measurement experiment Students must be able to explain about the fundamental theory in neutron flux distribution measurement
Class 6 Safety check procedure before and after nuclear reactor operation Students must be able to explain about the procedure before and after nuclear reactor operation
Class 7 Criticality approach experiment (1) Initial core design Students must be able to explain about the requirement of initial core design for criticality approach experiment
Class 8 Criticality approach experiment (2) Measurement of inverse multiplication Students must be able to estimate criticality mass by the inverse multiplication in criticality approach experiment
Class 9 Criticality approach experiment (3) Judgment of criticality Students must be able to judge of criticality of nuclear reactor.
Class 10 Control rod worth measurement (1) Period method and compensation method Student must be able to calculate control rod worth from the result of experiments by period method and compensation method.
Class 11 Control rod worth measurement (2) Rod drop method Student must be able to calculate control rod worth from the result of experiments by rod drop method.
Class 12 Neutron flux distribution measurement (1) Preparation of activation foils and settings Student must be able to explain about the fundamentals of activation foils used for neutron flux distribution measurement.
Class 13 Neutron flux distribution measurement (2) Measurement of activated foils Students must be able to calculate neutron flux distribution from the results of activated foils.
Class 14 Nuclear reactor operation Student must be able to explain about the fundamentals of nuclear reactor operation
Class 15 Presentation and discussion about experiment results Student must be able to present about the experiment results and discuss about it.

Textbook(s)

Tsuyosi Misawa, Hironobu Unesaki, Cheolho Pyen, ”Nuclear Reactor Physics Experiments”, Kyoto University Press (2010).

Reference books, course materials, etc.

John R. Lamarsh, “Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Theory”, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc. (1965).
James J. Duderstadt, Louis J. Hamilton, “Nuclear Reactor Analysis”, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (1976).
George I. Bell, Samuel Glasstone, “Nuclear Reactor Theory”, Robert E. Krieger Publishing Co., Inc. (1970).
Samuel Glasstone, Alexander Sesonske, "Nuclear Reactor Engineering", Chapman & Hall, Inc. (1994).
Weston M. Stacey, “Nuclear Reactor Physics”, WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA (2004).
Raymond L. Murray and Keith E. Holbert, "Nuclear Energy: An Introduction to The Concepts, Systems and Application of Nuclear Processes Seventh Edition", Elsevier Ltd. (2013).

Assessment criteria and methods

Students are assessed by the understanding of fundamentals of neutron transport theory and nuclear reactor theory.
Pre-experiment report 50%, Experiment report 50%

Related courses

  • NCL.N402 ： Neutron Transport Theory
  • NCL.N406 ： Nuclear Reactor Theory

Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)

It is needed to have fundamental knowledge of neutron transport theory and nuclear reactor theory.

Contact information (e-mail and phone)    Notice : Please replace from "[at]" to "@"(half-width character).

tobara[at]lane.iir.titech.ac.ji (Prof. Obara)

Office hours

Prior appointment by e-mail is necessary.

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