Reactor kinetics & dynamics - 5PMGCIR0

Goal(s)

This is an introductory course to the reactor kinetics and dynamics. The main objective of the course is to provide the theoretical basis to understand the neutronic behavior of a nuclear reactor: (a) during short transients as results of the normal reactor operation or accidental conditions, (b) in the medium term as results of the reactor operation.

Content(s)

1) Review of reactor neutronics: important concepts of nuclear reactor physics, multiplication factor, 4 factors formula, neutron balance equation, diffusion approximation.
2) Reactor kinetics concepts: neutron mean lifetime and neutron generation time, reactor amplification factor, delayed and prompt neutrons, prompt jump, reactor period, reactivity
3) Point reactor kinetic equations: determination of the point kinetic equation, in-hour equation, resolution with the Laplace transform, feedback coefficients
4) Reactor dynamics: fuel depletion, fission products poisoning, reactivity control with boron, Doppler effect, moderator density effect, introduction to perturbation theory

Neutronics, introduction to reactor physics, nuclear reactor technology.