151-2011-00L  Neutronics (EPFL)

SemesterAutumn Semester 2017
Lecturersexternal organisers
Periodicityyearly recurring course
Language of instructionEnglish
CommentNo enrolment to this course at ETH Zurich. Book the corresponding module directly at EPFL.


AbstractIn this course, one acquires an understanding of the basic neutronics interactions occurring in a nuclear fission reactor and, as such, the conditions for establishing and controlling a nuclear chain reaction.
ObjectiveBy the end of the course, the student must be able to:
- Elaborate on neutron diffusion equation
- Systematize nuclear reaction cross sections
- Formulate approximations to solving the diffusion equation for simple systems
ContentContent:
- Brief review of nuclear physics
- Historical: Constitution of the nucleus and discovery of the neutron -
Nuclear reactions and radioactivity - Cross sections - Differences between
fusion and fission.
- Nuclear fission
- Characteristics - Nuclear fuel - Introductory elements of neutronics.
- Fissile and fertile materials - Breeding.
- Neutron diffusion and slowing down
- Monoenergetic neutrons - Angular and scalar flux
- Diffusion theory as simplified case of transport theory - Neutron slowing
down through elastic scattering.
- Multiplying media (reactors)
- Multiplication factors - Criticality condition in simple cases.
- Thermal reactors - Neutron spectra - Multizone reactors - Multigroup
theory and general criticality condition - Heterogeneous reactors.
- Reactor kinetics
- Point reactor model: prompt and delayed transients - Practical
applications.
- Reactivity variations and control
- Short, medium and long term reactivity changes ? Different means of
control.
LiteratureDistributed documents, recommended book chapters
Prerequisites / NoticePrerequisite for: Reactor Experiments