18EE641 Introduction to Nuclear Power syllabus for EE

The Earth and Nuclear Power:

Sources and Resources: Introduction, Earth’s Internal Heat Generation, The Earth’s Energy Flow, The Fission Process, Thermal Energy Resources.

How Reactors Work:

Introduction, The Fission Process, Basic Components of a Nuclear Reactor, Thermal Reactors, Fast Reactors.

Cooling Reactors:

Introduction, General Features of a Reactor Coolant, Principles of Heat Transfer, Gaseous Coolants, Liquid Coolants, Boiling Coolants.

Loss of Cooling:

Introduction, The Electric Kettle, Pressurized-Water Reactor, Boiling-Water Reactor, CANDU Reactor, Gas-Cooled Reactors, Sodium- Cooled Fast Reactor.

Loss-of-Cooling Accidents:

Introduction, Incidents in light Water-Cooled Reactors, Heavy Water- Moderated Reactors, Gas-Cooled Reactors, Liquid Metal-Cooled Fast Reactors.

Postulated Severe Accidents Introduction:

Introduction, Postulated Severe Accidents in Water- Cooled Reactors, Specific Phenomena relating to Severe Accidents, Severe Accidents in other Reactor Types, Fission Product Dispersion following Containment Failure.

Cooling during Fuel Removal and Processing:

Introduction, Refuelling, Spent Fuel Storage and Transport, Reprocessing Plant.

Cooling and Disposing of the Waste:

Introduction, Classification of Waste Products, Fission Products and Their Biological Significance, Options for Nuclear Waste Disposal, Long-Term Storage and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, Storage and Disposal of Fission Products from Reprocessing Plants, Disposal of other Materials.

Fusion Energy -Prospect for the Future:

Introduction, The Fusion Process, Confinement, Current Technical Position, Conclusions.

Course Outcomes:

At the end of the course the student will be able to:

• Explain the fission process in nuclear materials, basic components of nuclear reactors, types of nuclear reactors and their working.
• List different types of coolants, their features, and cooling of reactors,
• Summarize loss of cooling accidents in different reactors.
• Discuss postulated severe accidents in reactors and cooling of reactor during removal of spentfuel.
• Discuss cooling and disposing the nuclear waste and prospect of fusion energy in the future.

Question paper pattern:

• The question paper will have ten full questions carrying equal marks.
• Each full question will be for 20 marks.
• There will be two full questions (with a maximum of four sub- questions) from each module.
• Each full question will have sub- question covering all the topics under a module.
• The students will have to answer five full questions, selecting one full question from each module.

Textbook

1 Introduction to Nuclear Power Geoffrey F. Hewitt Taylor & Francis 1st Edition, 2000

Reference Books

1 Nuclear Reactor Engineering G.Vaidyanathan S.Chand 1st Edition, 2013

2 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering John R Lamarsh Anthony J Baratta Pearson 3rd Edition, 2016