Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

Prerequisites

Required

2.001 Mechanics and Materials I

2.005 Thermal-Fluids Engineering I

Desirable

22.05 Neutron Science and Reactor Physics (undergraduate) or 22.211 Nuclear Reactor Physics I (graduate)

22.06 Engineering of Nuclear Systems

Course Objective

Understand and model the thermal-hydraulic and mechanical phenomena which are key to the effective, reliable and safe design and operation of nuclear systems.

Course Summary

1. Introduction to nuclear power systems
2. Thermal-hydraulics
   • Thermal parameters: Definitions and uses
   • Sources and distribution of thermal loads in nuclear power reactors
   • Conservation equations and their applications to nuclear power systems: Power conversion cycles, containment analysis
   • Thermal analysis of nuclear fuel
   • Single-phase flow and heat transfer
   • Two-phase flow and heat transfer
3. Structural mechanics
   • Fundamentals of structural mechanics
   • Applications to nuclear systems

Textbook and Readings

The required textbook is Todreas, Neil E., and Mujid S. Kazimi. Nuclear Systems Volume 1: Thermal Hydraulic Fundamentals. 2nd ed. CRC Press, 2011. ISBN: 9781439808870. [Preview with Google Books] (Revised Printing. CRC Press, July 2015.)

Textbook readings are supplemented by MIT notes on structural mechanics, various handouts, and other references as listed on the readings page.

Grading

Homework and Reading Assignment Practices

1. Units: You are to conform to recommended engineering practice by using units based on the International System (SI).
2. In writing your answers is important that you supply enough information to show how you have solved the problem. It is not necessary to repeat derivations already given in enough detail in the text or lectures.
3. It is considered acceptable for you to work completely independently; consult instructor; and / or work with other students. However, do not adopt your solution directly from any outside source without being sure that you understand both concepts and calculations. Points may be deducted if it appears that you do not understand.
4. Computer usage: Some homework problems may be solved efficiently using MATLAB^®, Mathcad or other computer programs.
5. Late solutions: Solutions submitted after the due date will receive no more than 50% credit. An all-student relaxation of this rule may be announced in class for some problems.

Calendar