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FEKT-MPA-ZJRAcad. year: 2024/2025
More than 80 years have passed since the first start-up of Professor Enrico Fermi's graphite reactor. Since then, more than 500 nuclear power reactors of various types have been commissioned, and about the same number of research, transport, space or military nuclear reactors. Individual types of reactors differ in the construction used, materials of fuel, moderator or coolant. Some types became commercially successful, others remained with only one or a few prototypes. The course comprehensively acquaints students with the history of nuclear energy and, in particular, with the individual types of nuclear reactors that have been designed, constructed and more or less successfully operated. The subject is taught and tested in English.
Language of instruction
Number of ECTS credits
Mode of study
Guarantor
Department
Entry knowledge
Rules for evaluation and completion of the course
The course ends with an exam and a credit.
The course evaluation consists of the following parts:
1) Assessment of exercises in the form of credit tests and an individual or group semester project. Credit is awarded based on the completion of 50% of the credit tests and the submission of an independent work. The independent work is graded and makes up 10% of the course grade
2) Evaluation of the final examination test.
The ratio of percentage points from individual parts of the course and the conditions for obtaining credit and the exam can be specified in detail by the teacher at the beginning of the semester.
Lectures on the subject are optional, but attendance is recommended. In the lectures, the examined issues are fully explained and students are alerted to a number of key and conflicting questions and tasks.
Attendance is checked for lectures by experts in practice. In case of non-participation, the student is assigned a separate work on the lectured topic. This independent work does not affect the awarding of credit, but the student presents it to the examiner during the oral exam. Participation in exercises (classical, laboratory, computer) is mandatory. In the case of an excused absence due to health or other clearly worthy reasons, the student is allowed to replace the lesson. If this is not possible for organizational reasons, the student is assigned an independent work, the submission of which is a necessary condition for credit.
The theoretical part of the written test will be in the form of an e-Learning test from the database of test questions (random selection from the given set of questions) - 30%. The practical written part contains examples similar to those that were solved in the exercises. A student from this part can get 30% points from the overall assessment. The oral exam makes up another 30% of the total evaluation points, the student draws 2 questions from the list of 20 topics published at the beginning of the e-Learning course.
Aims
Study aids
Prerequisites and corequisites
Basic literature
Recommended reading
Classification of course in study plans
Lecture
Teacher / Lecturer
Syllabus
1. History of nuclear physics and nuclear energy I. (from the discovery of radioactivity to World War II).
2. History of nuclear physics and nuclear energy II. (development of military use of atomic energy during the Cold War, development of peaceful use of nuclear energy in various countries).
3. Materials used in nuclear energy I. (nuclear fuels, moderators).
4. Materials used in nuclear energy II. (coolants, cladding of fuel elements, construction materials, absorbers).
5. Basic scheme and diagrams of a nuclear power plant, division of nuclear reactors according to generations.
6. Graphite gas-cooled nuclear reactors, advanced graphite reactors, water-cooled graphite reactors, unsuccessful graphite reactor projects.
7. Heavy water pressurized water nuclear reactors, development from the first prototypes, development stages of CANDU reactors, CANDU reactors in operation, analysis of CANDU-6.
8. Siemens heavy water pressurized water reactors, Indian heavy water reactors, unsuccessful or historical heavy water reactor projects (e.g. A1).
9. Pressurized water nuclear reactors (basic developments in different countries, main manufacturers, understanding of basic function and construction).
10. GE nuclear boiling water reactors and their development in the USA, Asea boiling water reactors, Siemens boiling water reactors, boiling heavy water reactors.
11. Hitachi and Toshiba boiling water reactors, operation and control of boiling water reactors, difference from graphite moderated boiling water reactors and pressurized water reactors.
12. Fast reactors, analysis of successful and unsuccessful projects, main emphasis on understanding the principle and the difference compared to classical thermal reactor technology, advantages of a fast reactor, its fuel cycle, etc. Fast reactor operation and control.
13. Nuclear reactors for non-electric applications - nuclear heating plants, reactors for ship propulsion, reactors for space.
Exercise
1) Comparison of properties of moderators in nuclear power plants
2) Different properties of nuclear fuels
3) Nuclear fuel cycle
4) Behavior of a water-cooled graphite reactors
5) Behavior of pressurized water and boiling light water nuclear reactors
6) Behavior of heavy water nuclear reactors
7) Behavior of fast nuclear reactors
8) Nuclear reactor project for space applications
9) Project of a nuclear reactor for the propulsion of vehicles/vessels
10) Technical visit to a pressurized water nuclear reactor
11) Technical visit to a pressurized water nuclear reactor
12) Technical visit to a boiling nuclear reactor
13) Technical visit to a boiling nuclear reactor