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EM 463 is a
follow-on course from EM362 which studies the
principles of nuclear engineering. The course
uses the same text as EM362. It is especially
valuable for those strongly interested in a navy
nuclear propulsion career. The course consists
of two lectures and one laboratory period per
week. The first lecture topic area studies
advanced criticality analysis that integrates
the principles of neutron slowing down theory
into a multi-group spatial analysis. A basic 3
group criticality diffusion code is provided to
the students to understand these concepts. The
second lecture topic area studies the principles
of power transient behavior in a nuclear
reactor. This topic is illustrated with
applications to controls rods, fission product
poisoning, fuel isotopic changes, and the
load-following characteristics of a pressurized
water reactor. Special films are shown of both
planned and unplanned nuclear criticality
accidents and their consequences. Simulation
packages are used by the students that
illustrate a pressurized water reactor’s
transient response. In this part of the
course, the student learns the interactions
between different systems that compose a nuclear
power plant and the reactor core itself. The
final lecture topic area is the study of basic
reactor shielding principles. The laboratory
portion of the course emphasizes experiments
that measure basic nuclear parameters and
illustrates the operating principles of nuclear
instrumentation and data analysis. Two field
trips are normally conducted. One trip is to
the TRIGA reactor, which is located at the AFRRI
facility in Bethesda, MD. On this trip, several
transient experiments are performed with the
reactor initially in a critical state. The
second field trip is a visit to a local nuclear
power plant such as Calvert Cliffs or Three Mile
Island. The laboratory experiments use the
modern nuclear work stations as well as the
sub-critical reactor, neutron generators,
radiation sources, and detection equipment that
are located in the laboratory. Typically 11
laboratory experiments are performed over the
course of the semester. Normally one or two
guest lecturers are brought in to speak on
current and future issues facing the commercial
nuclear industry or to lecture on special
nuclear topics. EM 463 like EM 362 emphasizes
the light water reactor technology, which is
employed by both the navy and commercial nuclear
reactors. |
