4D03/6D03 Nuclear Reactor Systems Analysis

Term I  - 2010/2011

Lecturer:
B. Rouben

Lectures:
Mondays 11:30 - 14:20

Location:
PC/335

Prerequisite:
Engineering Physics 3D03 or equivalent

Outline:
Introduction to nuclear energy; nuclear physics and chain reactions; reactor statics and kinetics; multigroup analysis; core composition changes; numerical methods; miscellaneous topics.

Course Objectives:

To aid the student in understanding modern nuclear engineering; to develop skills for analysing neutron characteristics of fission reactors.

Goals:

• to understand the physical processes
• to understand and be able to formulate the basic descriptive equations
• to solve those equations
• to simulate a reactor/source configuration with appropriate models depending on energy, position, steady state or transient situations, and material properties.

Reference Material:

1) Primary reference text: Nuclear Reactor Analysis, by James J. Duderstadt & Louis J. Hamilton, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., ISBN: 0-471-22363-8

2) Lecturer’s notes 

Additional reference texts on nuclear reactor theory, varying wildly in level, availability and price:

John R. Lamarsh & Anthony J. Baratta, Introduction to Nuclear Engineering, Prentice Hall, ISBN: 0-20182-498-1

Bell and Glasstone, Nuclear Reactor Theory, Reinhold, 1970
Henry, Nuclear Reactor Analysis, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1975
Glasstone and Sesonske, Nuclear Reactor Engineering, 4th ed., VanNostrand, 1995
Lamarsh, Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Theory, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass., 1966
Lamarsh, Introduction to Nuclear Engineering, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass., 1975
Murray, Nuclear Energy, Pergamon Press, New York, 1975
Stacey, Nuclear Reactor Physics, Wiley, 2001
Weinberg and Wigner, The Physical Theory of Neutron Chain Reactors, Chicago U.P., 1958
Zweifel, Reactor Physics, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1973

Glasstone and Sesonske and Lamarsh are excellent general references for nuclear engineering.  The others lean more to reactor physics.  See Duderstadt for many more references.

Assignments:

(a)  Problem assignments will be handed out.

b) Assignments are due before the beginning of the lecture one week after being assigned, unless otherwise specified.  Assignments will be reviewed in class if necessary.

(c) Marked assignments will be returned within one week of submission.  If the problem set is not turned in by the deadline, the mark given will be zero.  If you expect to miss an assignment for reasons of ill health, we will negotiate.

(d) Assignments done in pencil will not be accepted for marking.  If your solutions are not legible they will not be marked; please use one side of a sheet only.  Draw a solid line at the end of each problem solution. Order the problems in the same way they are assigned.

(e) If an error has been made in marking, consult the lecturer for an adjustment.

(f)  Solutions to problem sets will be made available after the assignment is due.  For obvious reasons, no late assignments will be accepted once the solutions are posted.

Midterm Test:

There will be one midterm test (~2 hours), to be conducted in a regular lecture period. Solutions will be provided after the test period.

Final Exam:

There will be a three-hour final examination. It will be based on the entire course, including material covered in lectures, assignments, and tests. The exam will be closed book but a crib sheet is permitted (one double-sided sheet, 8½” x 11”).  There is no restriction on use of calculators.

Final Course Mark:

For 4D03:

The final mark will be based on problem assignments, midterm test, and the final examination.  The final mark will be based on the following weighting (in percent):

For 6D03:

6D03 students (i.e., graduate students) will have an extra assignment, worth an additional 20 marks.  The total mark, including the extra assignment, will then be renormalized to a maximum of 100 per cent.

Any missed component will be entered as zero in the calculation of the grade.

Note: A passing mark on the final exam is a requirement for a passing mark in the course.

Forecast of the Final Mark:

Soon after the midterm test, projections of final marks will be made based on performance to that time and assuming an exam mark identical to the midterm.  This will be updated as more marks become available.  If a student has a forecast final mark of less than 50%, it is suggested that he/she seek advice from the lecturer as quickly as possible.

Collusion:

In the past, groups of students have tended to collaborate and discuss assignments.  This is acceptable in moderation.  However, submitted assignments must be the student’s own work and not a copy of someone else’s.  If copying is suspected, the marks of these students will not be entered until they have discussed the assignment with the lecturer.  If copying is found to have taken place, all students involved will receive zero for that assignment.

The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check their McMaster email and course websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.

POLICY REMINDERS:
Academic dishonesty consists of misrepresentation by deception or by other fraudulent means and can result in serious consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation reads: "Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty"), and/or suspension or expulsion from the university.
It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For information on the various kinds of academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy, specifically Appendix 3, located at http://www.mcmaster.ca/senate/academic/ac_integrity.htm

The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty:

1. Plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not one's own or for which other credit has been obtained.
2. Improper collaboration in group work.
3. Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations.

The Faculty of Engineering is concerned with ensuring an environment that is free of all adverse discrimination. If there is a problem that cannot be resolved by discussion among the persons concerned, individuals are reminded that they should contact their Department Chair, the Sexual Harassment Officer or the Human Rights Consultant, as soon as possible.