NE 303 – Reactor Physics I, Syllabus, SP 2013 v2 1

NE 303 - Reactor Physics I Spring 2013

Dr. Xin Liu Text: 1. Nuclear Reactor Analysis, J. J. Duderstadt and L. J. Hamilton (primary text)

2. Introduction to Nuclear Engineering, J. R. Lamarsh

Reference: Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Theory, J. R. Lamarsh Classroom Hours: 10:00-10:50 MWF, 220 Fulton Hall LEAD Session: 5:00-6:00 PM Wednesday (220 Fulton Hall) Office Hours: 1:30-2:30 PM M-T-Th(223 Fulton Hall) Contact Information: 341-4693 (office), xinliu@mst.edu TA: Vaibhav Sinha Contact Information: vs9p4@mail.mst.edu

Course Summary: This course will cover all aspects of nuclear reactor physics, addressing the principles and methods applied in reactor physics calculations. The focus of the course will be neutron interactions, fission, neutron transport equations, neutron diffusion equations, neutron slowing down, and criticality of bare homogeneous and simple heterogeneous reactors. Course Objective: At the completion of this course, I expect that you will:

Learn the fundamentals of neutron interactions, cross-sections and fission Understand the basics of nuclear reactor physics and neutronics design Understand the basics of neutron transport equations and diffusion equations Learn different methods of flux calculation Obtain an understanding of neutron diffusion and slowing down Perform criticality calculations for bare homogeneous and simple heterogeneous

reactors with fast and thermal neutron spectra Gain a familiarity with nuclear reactor kinetics

Grading: Three 1-hour exams 60% Homework 30% Class participation (clickers) 10% A student cannot pass the course without having obtained at least 50%, average,

in the three exams.

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The final grades will be rounded to the nearest whole number and assigned as follows:

A - 90-100% B - 80-<90% C -70-<80% D - 60-<70% F -<60%

Exams: A one-hour exam will be administered at the end of each major topical section and will cover all of the material presented during that section. The three one-hour exams will be averaged to yield 60% of the final grade. Homework: Homework will be due by NOON on the assigned due date. Submit your homework to TA. Show your work - minimal answers will earn minimal credit. I am generally less interested in the specific answer than I am in seeing how you got there. Utilizing the LEAD Session (time and room TBA) is highly recommended for better learning of the course subjects and for your homework as well. There will be 6 homework assignments, out of which 5 best scores will be counted in the final grade. Clicker points: Clicker questions will be given throughout the semester. The overall clicker grade will be assigned based on the total amount of points accumulated over the semester. Considering the possibility of technology failures, battery failures, absences, and lost or stolen clickers, students have the opportunity to earn 12.5 points over the semester. Thus, if you acquire total clicker points of 12.5 through out the semester, you have bonus points of 2.5. If you have to replace a lost, stolen or damaged clicker during the semester it is your responsibility to inform me of the new clicker ID so I can update the Participant List. Common causes of damage include: heavy textbooks in a book bag, excessive heat or moisture, strong magnetic fields (such as the security tag deactivators at checkout counters).

Tentative Dates: Exam #1 – Basics and Neutron Transport 3/01/2013 Exam #2 – One-Speed Diffusion Model 4/08/2013 Exam #3 – Reactor Kinetics & Multigroup Theory 5/08/2013

Approximate Course Outline:

Text Section 1: Introductory Concepts of Nuclear Reactor Physics The Nuclear Physics of Fission Chain Reactions Ch. 2 Fission Chain Reactions and Nuclear Reactors – an Introduction Ch. 3 Section 2: The One-Speed Diffusion Model of a Nuclear Reactor Neutron Transport Ch. 4 The One-Speed Diffusion Theory Model Ch. 5

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Section 3: The Kinetic of a Nuclear Reactor & Multigroup Theory Nuclear Reactor Kinetics Ch. 6 &Ch. 7of Text 2 Multigroup Diffusion Theory Ch. 7

Policies and Procedures:

Blackboard: Blackboard is my primary method of distributing printed and other material. Make-Up Tests: A missed test or other activity may be made-up at a later date if such is negotiated with the instructor before the absence occurs. Non-negotiated misses may not be made up. Late Homework: Late homework will be accepted at a 25% penalty up to the beginning of the class immediately following the due date. After that, it will be accepted and graded, but not counted for credit. Collaborative Homework: Unless otherwise stated, all graded homework in this class is to represent each individual's own effort. I encourage you to utilize LEAD session so that you work with other students to figure out the "how" of problems, but what you turn in must represent your own effort. Instances of copying (either electronic or by hand) will result in an instant zero for that assignment for every party involved. Further actions will be taken if this becomes repetitive. Academic Ethics: Any forms of academic dishonesty will be dealt with firmly and directly. See “http://registrar.mst.edu/documents/academic_reg2010-2012.pdf''. The University Standards of Conduct are attached to this syllabus and will be strictly enforced. Written Submission Standards: All hand-written homework must be submitted on 1/5" ruled engineering paper. Calculations should be reasonably formatted and the final answer(s) marked with an underline or box. A new page or a horizontal line should delineate each problem. Work should be presented in an easy-to-follow, linear order. Graphs and other figures should be well labeled, reasonably sized using an appropriate scale, and easy to read and comprehend. Grey lines on a grey background are not acceptable. Printouts of spreadsheets/input files should be appropriately sized and easy to parse. All multi-page homework submissions should be stapled together before being turned in. All homework pages must be numbered. Concerns and Complaints: I encourage all of my students to communicate with me in a frank and honest fashion. I promise to listen and do what I can to respond your

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worries and concerns in an open and fair fashion. If you feel you cannot talk with me, please feel free to talk to the Department Chair, Dr. Kumar. Additional Information:

Academic Alert System: http://academicalert.mst.edu Academic Dishonesty: http://registrar.mst.edu/academicregs/index.html Classroom Egress Maps: http://registrar.mst.edu/links/egress.html Disability Support Services: http://dss.mst.edu LEAD Learning Assistance: http://lead.mst.edu

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