Reactor Physics and Core Operations

Nuclear Fission Principles

• Master the fundamentals of nuclear fission, including the behavior of neutrons, isotopes (U-235, U-238, Pu-239), and the energy release mechanisms in reactor cores.
• Understand the neutron life cycle, from birth in fission, through moderation, absorption, and leakage, to its eventual disappearance. Learn about k-effective and k-infinity and their impact on reactor criticality.
• Explore the concepts of neutron cross-sections (absorption, scattering, fission) and how they vary with neutron energy. Develop proficiency in interpreting cross-section data for different materials and isotopes.
• Gain expertise in reactor kinetics and the point kinetics equations. Understand the role of delayed neutrons in reactor control and stability. Analyze reactor power transients and predict reactor response to reactivity changes.

Reactor Core Design and Fuel Management

• Analyze reactor core configurations, including fuel assembly designs (PWR, BWR), fuel enrichment distributions, and control rod placement.
• Understand the principles of fuel burnup and isotopic depletion. Calculate fuel cycle costs and optimize fuel loading patterns to maximize fuel utilization and minimize waste production.
• Learn about different fuel types (uranium oxide, MOX) and cladding materials (zirconium alloys) and their properties. Analyze fuel performance under irradiation and thermal stress.
• Evaluate the impact of moderator temperature coefficient (MTC) and void coefficient on reactor stability and safety.

Reactor Control Systems

• Understand the design and operation of reactor control systems, including control rods, boron injection systems, and burnable absorbers.
• Analyze the relationship between control rod worth, reactor power, and reactivity. Develop strategies for reactor startup, shutdown, and power maneuvering.
• Learn about automatic control systems and their role in maintaining reactor stability and optimizing plant performance.
• Explore the use of in-core instrumentation for monitoring reactor power distribution and fuel performance.

Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer

Reactor Coolant Systems

• Analyze the design and operation of reactor coolant systems (PWR, BWR), including primary and secondary loops.
• Understand the principles of heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation in reactor components.
• Evaluate the thermal-hydraulic performance of reactor cores, including pressure drop, flow distribution, and heat removal capabilities.
• Calculate the departure from nucleate boiling ratio (DNBR) and understand its importance in preventing fuel damage.

Steam Generators and Turbines

• Analyze the design and operation of steam generators (PWR) and their role in transferring heat from the primary to the secondary loop.
• Understand the principles of steam turbine operation, including turbine cycle efficiency and power output.
• Evaluate the performance of condensers and feedwater systems in maintaining optimal plant conditions.
• Learn about moisture separator reheaters (MSRs) and their impact on turbine efficiency.

Emergency Core Cooling Systems (ECCS)

• Understand the design and operation of ECCS, including accumulator injection, high-pressure injection, and low-pressure injection systems.
• Analyze the performance of ECCS during loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCA) and their role in preventing fuel damage.
• Learn about different ECCS designs and their limitations.
• Understand the regulatory requirements for ECCS performance.

Nuclear Safety and Licensing

Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA)

• Apply PRA techniques to assess the risk of accidents at nuclear power plants, including event tree analysis, fault tree analysis, and consequence analysis.
• Quantify the probability of core damage and containment failure.
• Identify the dominant accident sequences and vulnerabilities in plant design and operation.
• Use PRA results to improve plant safety and reduce the risk of accidents.

Severe Accident Management

• Understand the phenomena associated with severe accidents, including core melt, hydrogen generation, and containment failure.
• Develop strategies for mitigating the consequences of severe accidents, including containment venting, core debris stabilization, and offsite emergency response.
• Learn about severe accident analysis codes (e.g., MELCOR, MAAP) and their application in predicting accident progression.
• Understand the role of emergency operating procedures (EOPs) and accident management guidelines (AMGs) in mitigating severe accidents.

Radiation Protection and Waste Management

• Apply the principles of radiation protection to minimize radiation exposure to workers and the public, including ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principles.
• Understand the sources of radiation at nuclear power plants and the methods for controlling radiation exposure.
• Learn about radiation monitoring equipment and techniques.
• Analyze the design and operation of radioactive waste management systems, including waste processing, storage, and disposal.
• Understand the regulations governing radioactive waste management and disposal.

Nuclear Licensing and Regulations

• Understand the regulatory framework for nuclear power plants, including the roles of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and other regulatory agencies.
• Learn about the licensing process for nuclear power plants, including the application process, safety analysis reports, and environmental impact statements.
• Understand the regulatory requirements for plant design, construction, operation, and decommissioning.
• Analyze the requirements related to quality assurance, security, and emergency preparedness.

Operational Excellence and Human Factors

Operational Procedures and Standards

• Develop a strong understanding of the importance of operational procedures and standards in maintaining plant safety and reliability.
• Learn how to develop, review, and implement operational procedures, including normal operating procedures (NOPs), abnormal operating procedures (AOPs), and emergency operating procedures (EOPs).
• Understand the principles of human factors engineering and their application to procedure design.
• Analyze the role of procedures in preventing human errors and improving plant performance.

Maintenance and Reliability

• Understand the principles of preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance, and corrective maintenance.
• Learn how to develop and implement a comprehensive maintenance program to ensure the reliability of plant equipment.
• Analyze the use of reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) techniques to optimize maintenance strategies.
• Understand the role of maintenance in preventing equipment failures and improving plant availability.

Human Performance and Error Reduction

• Analyze the factors that contribute to human errors at nuclear power plants, including stress, fatigue, communication breakdowns, and organizational culture.
• Learn how to implement human performance improvement (HPI) techniques to reduce the likelihood of human errors.
• Understand the importance of a strong safety culture in promoting safe and reliable plant operations.
• Analyze the use of root cause analysis (RCA) techniques to investigate incidents and identify the underlying causes of human errors.