MSc Nuclear Science and Technology / Course details

Describe the thermal hydraulic processes involved in the transfer of power from the core to the secondary systems of a nuclear reactor plant and produce competence in the fundamentals of the calculations associated with these processes.

Describe the thermal hydraulic processes involved in the transfer of power from the core to the secondary systems of a nuclear reactor plant and produce competence in the fundamentals of the calculations associated with these processes.

Derive equations which describe conductive heat transfer in various nuclear fuel elements and use these to evaluate fuel and clad temperatures in the core of a reactor against appropriate thermal hydraulic criteria.

Describe and explain single phase and multiphase convective heat transfer in coolant channels in nuclear reactor cores with various fuel element arrangements and select and apply appropriate convective heat transfer correlations to evaluate heat transfer rates and surface temperatures in nuclear reactor cores

Describe and explain single phase and multiphase fluid dynamics in coolant channels in nuclear reactor cores with various fuel element arrangements and evaluate flow rates and coolant pressures in a nuclear reactor cooling system.

Explain typical thermal hydraulic safety criteria applied in the core of a nuclear reactor and describe an overview of the typical safety systems used to ensure the thermal hydraulic safety criteria are not exceeded. Explain the phenomenon of critical heat flux as a thermal hydraulic limit and use appropriate methods to evaluate the CHF in a heated channel.

Explain the primary models used in industry thermal hydraulic codes including considerations arising from the numerical solution of the governing equations and use an industry thermal hydraulic code to assess a heated channel against limiting thermal hydraulic criteria.

Describe and explain a range of thermodynamic cycles used for power conversion in light water and gas cooled nuclear.

• Pre-course online learning
• Face-to-face lectures using presentation software and white board
• Tutorials whereby students work through questions to reinforce and consolidate lecture material and additional stretch questions
• Hands-on use of a thermal hydraulic code used by industry to assess a case study nuclear heated channel including interpreting computer code output.
• Use spread-sheets to perform thermal hydraulic scoping calculations.
• Make appropriate assumptions to build models of engineering systems.
• Assimilate complex and copious technical information.
• Assignment.
• Module available as Distance Learning includes:
• Online lecture recordings.
• Chat room and forums.
• Tutorials whereby students work through questions to reinforce and consolidate lecture material and additional stretch questions.
• Opportunity to attend session for hands-on use of a thermal hydraulic code used by industry to assess a case study nuclear heated channel.
• Use spread-sheets to perform thermal hydraulic scoping calculations.
• Make appropriate assumptions to build models of engineering systems.
• Assimilate complex and copious technical information.
• Assignment.

Submitted and marked via BlackBoard and final marks for exam