M'SONE | Main / Nuclear materials and the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Lecturer : Dr G Nothnagel : NECSA

Course Outline

Textbook Physics and Technology of Nuclear Materials, Ioan Ursu, Pergamon Press

1	Basics Of Nuclear Reactors	.........5
1.1	Introduction	.........5
1.2	Fission Reactors	.........7
1.3	Fuel Burn-Up	.........9
1.4	Cross-Sections For Neutron Interaction With Nuclei	.........10
1.5	Material Considerations For Reactors	.........11
2	Structure And Properties Of Materials	.........12
2.1	Introduction	.........12
2.2	Microscopic Structure Of Materials	.........12
2.3	Geometry Of Perfect Crystals	.........13
2.4	The Origin And Structure Of Crystal Bonding	.........17
2.5	Lattice Defects	.........24
2.6	Irradiation Effects In Materials	.........30
2.7	Crystallographic Notation	.........33
2.8	Macroscopic Properties Of Materials	.........35
3	Fuel Materials And The Fuel Cycle	.........41
3.1	Introduction	.........41
3.2	Uranium	.........42
3.2	Plutonium	.........58
3.2	Thorium	.........60
4	Structural Materials	.........62
4.1	General	.........62
4.2	Aluminium	.........62
4.3	Zirconium	.........63
4.4	Stainless Steels	.........66
5	Moderator And Control Materials	.........69
5.1	General	.........69
5.2	Nuclear Graphite	.........71
5.3	Natural (Light) Water	.........73
5.4	Heavy Water	.........76
5.5	Reactor Control And Shut-Down Systems	.........76
6	Generation IV Reactors	.........80
6.1	Introduction	.........80
6.2	Reactor Types	.........81
6.3	Advantages And Disadvantages	.........82
6.4	Material Challenges	.........83
7	Nuclear Fuel Elements	.........84
7.1	Introduction	.........84
7.1	Design Of Fuel Elements	.........84
8	Shielding Materials	.........90
8.1.	General	.........90
9	Radioactive Wastes	.........94
9.1	General	.........94
9.2	Radioactive Wastes	.........94
10	Nuclear Material Recovery From Irradiated Fuel And Recycling	.........97
10.1	General	.........97
11	Quality Control And Testing Of Nuclear Materials	.........99
11.1	Introduction .........99
11.2	Non-Destructive Control Methods	.........99
11.3	Destructive Qc Methods	.........104
Appendix	Some Additional Notes	.........108
1.	The Law Of Diffusion (Fick’s Law)	.........108
2.	The Physics Of Fission Gas Bubbles In Fuel	.........110

Lectures

Dr G Nothnagel's notes MSONE students 2010 (see restricted area)

Tutorials

Tutorial 1
Tutorial 2
Tutorial 3

Projects

Project 1

Restricted Material

For registered students