

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.