Principles and operation of nuclear reactors

Module Objective:

• Provide the basic elements for the understanding of the production process and fission energy related to the nuclear reactor.
• Introduce the technological aspects associated to the reactor core. 
• Give the basic foundations of calculation and evaluation.
• Present the basic nuclear fuel cycle elements.

Module Content:

• Nuclear reactor operation principle. Historical introduction and current situation of nuclear energy.
• Neutron interaction. Reactions types. Cross sections according to the energy. Neutron scattering. Moderation power and reason.
• Fission process in a nuclear reactor. Fission reaction. Conversion and reproduction. Fission energy. Nuclear reactor power. Fuel consumption, fission products.
• Neutron multiplication in a nuclear reactor. The multiplication factor. 
• The four and six factors formula. Critical mass.
• Reactor kinetics. Delayed and non delayed neutrons. Reactivity equation for six delayed neutron groups. Flux evolution.
• Control rod effect. Control-rod Worth. Differential and integral value.
• Soluble poisons. Reactivity effect calculation.
• Burnable poisons. Location. Reactivity effect calculation.
• Reactivity temperature effects. Feedback coefficients. Stability. Fuel temperature coefficient. Moderator temperature coefficient.     
• Fission products poisoning. Dead Time. Xenon oscillations. Samarium effects.
• Neutron Sources. Sub critical multiplication.