EU Nuclear Reactor physics 1 - 4PUGPRE1

Goal(s)

The course introduces definitions and fundamentals concepts of the reactor physics which will allow later to develop the reactor theory, in particular the reactor neutron balance equations, the feedback effects, the reactor kinetics and dynamics behavior. The elements provides by this course should allow the student to understand the main neutronics phenomena occurring in a nuclear reactor and to make first order of value estimates of relevant neutronics parameters (e.g. neutron cross-sections).
Know the main principles of PWR safety and operations.
Know and place the large components, be able to associate them with their functions and be able to justify some of their main caracteristics

Content(s)

Nuclear reactor physics (22h CM + 8h TD)
1) Nuclear energy: biding energy, fusion and fission, fisile and fertile nuclides, nuclear fission process, delayed neutron.
2) Neutron interactions with materials: microscopic and macroscopic cross-sections, reaction rates, energy dependency of neutron cross-sections, temperature effet, differential cross-sections.
3) Equilibrium chain reaction: neutron flux, neutron spectrum, chain reaction, reactor criticality and multiplication factor, neutron balance in a PWR, diffusion approximation.
4) Working principles of a nuclear reactor: nuclear reactor core composition, fast and thermal spectrum reactor, operation of a PWR

Nuclear reactor technology (14h CM)
Description of the main components, their relative placement, functions and caracteristics.

Physics 1
Physics 2
Méthodes numériques 1

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Additional Information

Bibliography

Barjon, Physique des Réacteurs Nucléaires
Ligou, Introduction au Génie Nucléaire
Soutif, Physique Neutronique
Reuss, Précis de Neutronique

Lamarsh, Introduction to nuclear engineering
Stacey, Nuclear reactor physics
Krane, Introductory nuclear physics
Foster and Wright, Basic nuclear engineering
Henry, Nuclear reactor analysis