2017 | Introduction to Nuclear Engineering

Undergraduate
Graduate

2017　Introduction to Nuclear Engineering

Font size S M L

Academic unit or major: Undergraduate major in Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering

Instructor(s): Oguri Yoshiyuki Obara Toru Iio Shunji Akatsuka Hiroshi Kikura Hiroshige

Class Format: Lecture

Media-enhanced courses

Day/Period(Room No.): Mon1-2(S621) Thr1-2(S621)

Group: -

Course number: TSE.A311

Credits: 2

Academic year: 2017

Offered quarter: 4Q

Syllabus updated: 2017/11/29

Lecture notes updated: -

Language used: Japanese

Access Index

Syllabus

Course description and aims

[Outline]
Fission reactor systems and nuclear fusion reactor development in nuclear engineering are taken up in this class. First, basic nuclear characteristics, nuclear decay and radiation, and nuclear reaction physics are explained. Second, criticality, kinetics, and combustion characteristics of fission reactors are explained as well as reactor thermal hydrodynamics, nuclear system safety, and nuclear fuel cycles. Finally, basic plasma physics, nuclear fusion reactions and fusion plasma are explained as well as the history and present status of nuclear fusion reactor development.
[Aim]
To understand and obtain basic knowledge on physics in nuclear engineering, the mechanisms and safety of fission reactors, reactor thermal hydrodynamics, nuclear fuel cycles, fusion plasma, and the present status of nuclear fusion reactor development.

Student learning outcomes

By taking this course, the students are expected to obtain a wide range of basic knowledge on nuclear engineering and to apply that knowledge to understand the content of higher-level courses in nuclear engineering.

Keywords

energy self-sufficiency rate, energy security, nuclear force, nuclear structure, nuclear binding energy, critical, nuclear reactor, safety, innovative nuclear energy systems, nuclear fuel, uranium enrichment, reprocessing of nuclear spent fuel, disposal of nuclear waste

Competencies that will be developed

✔ Specialist skills

Intercultural skills

Communication skills

Critical thinking skills

✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

This omnibus course overviewing nuclear engineering, consists of 6 lecturers from their respective specialist fields.

Course schedule/Required learning

	Course schedule	Required learning
Class 1	Outline of this class, Energy situation in Japan	To understand the energy security situation of Japan based on energy self-sufficiency rate, etc.
Class 2	Nuclear structure, Nuclear Binding Energy	To obtain basic knowledge of nuclear engineering such as nuclear force, nuclear structure, nuclear binding energy, etc.
Class 3	Nuclear disintegration and radiation interactions	Understand the generation mechanism of nuclear radiations due to the decay of unstable atomic nuclei and the interaction of the radiation with matter.
Class 4	Nuclear reactions and chain reactions of nuclear fission	Understand the mechanisms of nuclear reactions and neutron-induced fission of heavy nuclei such as uranium.
Class 5	Criticality of nuclear reactor	Students must be able to explain about the principal of criticality in a nuclear reactor and conditions to achieve it.
Class 6	Reactor kinetices and burn-up	Students must be able to explain the change in reactor power after the change of reactivity and change of reactor performance resulting from the burn-up of fuel.
Class 7	Fundamentals of thermal-hydraulics	Students must be able to explain about the fundamentals of thermal-hydraulics in nuclear reactors.
Class 8	Thermal-hydraulics in nuclear reactors	Students must be able to explain the thermal-hydraulic characteristic of nuclear reactors such as heat generation, boiling heat transfer, critical heat flux and so on, and to explain the differences of thermal-hydraulics between BWR and PWR.
Class 9	Nuclear reactor systems and safety	Students must be able to expain the overview of nuclear reactor systems and the systems for safety.
Class 10	Innovative nuclear energy system	Students must be able to expain the goal of an innovative nuclear energy system, which can be a next-generation reactor and its current development status.
Class 11	Nuclear Fuel Cycle	Comprehensive understanding of the nuclear fuel cycle, i.e. nuclear fuels, uranium enrichment, burn-up in nuclear reactors, reprocessing and disposal of nuclear spent fuels.
Class 12	Fundamentals of plasmas	Fundamentals of plasma science and engineering. Applications of plasma science to understand fundamental natural phenomena and various industrial applications.
Class 13	Nuclear fusion reactions and magnetic confinement	To obtain basic knowledge of nuclear fusion reactions in stars as a source of energy, and magnetic plasma confinement to achieve fusion reactions on earth.
Class 14	Heating methods and diagnostics of fusion plasmas	To understand the heating methods of plasmas to trigger enough fusion reactions and the diagnostic schemes to measure the temperature and density of plasmas.
Class 15	History and present status of fusion reactor development, report themes	To understand the history and present status of research and development to realize fusion reactors.

Textbook(s)

None. Material for each class can be provided by the lecturer.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Material for each class can be provided by the lecturer.

Assessment criteria and methods

Examination by each lecturer (60%) and homework (40%)

Related courses

CAP.E361 ： Radiation Chemistry
CAP.E362 ： Nuclear Chemical Engineering

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

None

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

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

Office hours

Prior appointment by e-mail is necessary.

TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY