Unit information: Nuclear Reactor Engineering in 2018/19

Unit name	Nuclear Reactor Engineering
Unit code	CENGM0036
Credit points	10
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Larrosa
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Civil Engineering
Faculty	Faculty of Engineering

Description including Unit Aims

This unit provides a background to common, present and future nuclear reactor designs including materials specifications and fabrication processes. Students will also gain an understanding of methods of structural integrity assessment including assessment codes such as R5 and R6, and an appreciation of nuclear safety cases, including aspects such as plant monitoring.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

1. Recall the historical development of nuclear power.
2. Describe common reactor designs and material use.
3. Compare and contrast different reactor types.
4. Appraise the capabilities and limitations of the main production processing and fabrication routes used in nuclear plant build.
5. Restate the principles of nuclear plant protection and safety systems.
6. Construct safety cases for nuclear reactor faults and structural integrity failures.

Teaching Information

Lectures including seminar talks by external nuclear experts in their specialist areas relevant to the unit topic. E-learning via industry partner training schemes. Industrial site visit. Nuclear reactor control room simulator.

Assessment Information

Formative feedback will come from the results of the computer based test

The final mark is split as follows

Computer-based test (20%)

2-hour written exam (80%)

Reading and References

• Introduction to Nuclear Power, G.F. Hewitt and J.G. Collier, CRC Press; 2nd edition (2000).
• Nuclear Reactor Design, Takashi Kiguchi and Yoshiaki Oka, Springer (2014).
• Nuclear Reactor Engineering: Reactor Design Basics, Samuel Glasstone and Alexander Sesonske, Springer; 4th edition (1994).
• Nuclear Renaissance: Technologies and Policies for the Future of Nuclear Power, William J. Nuttall, CRC Press (2004).