INPE, BUET Syllabus for M.Sc. Engineering/M. Engineering Course in Nuclear Power Engineering
Introduction:
Because of the paucity of indigenous energy resources in Bangladesh, nuclear energy has been under consideration as an alternative source of power supply since early 1960's when the construction of a nuclear power plant at Rooppur in Pabna was conceived. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, the proposed nuclear power plant at Rooppur never saw the light of the day. The government of Bangladesh took an initiative in 2009 to build a nuclear power plant at Rooppur with technical and financial assistance of the Russian Federation and there has been already a significant progress of this project.
Any country embarking on nuclear power generally builds a series of nuclear power plants as it is not economic to build just one or two power reactors as nuclear power requires large infrastructures in terms of manpower and other facilities. Introduction of nuclear power also requires long term planning, detailed pre-project activities, framing of appropriate laws relating to construction, operation, and regulation of nuclear power plants in order to ensure the safety of the public from any accidental release of nuclear regulations. Qualified and trained manpower is, therefore, an essential pre-requisite for implementation of a nuclear power program.
Nuclear power has some special features like ionizing radiations and safety, strict quality assurance and quality control, nuclear fuel supply and waste management, application of nuclear safeguards and other international obligations. Consequently, management of nuclear power projects, enforcement of nuclear regulations and operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants require special knowledge, experience and skills like in no other industry.
It is very important to appreciate that development of manpower for a nuclear power program requires long lead times. Since the success of a nuclear power project depends to a large extent on the accomplishment of the pre-project and project activities, it is obvious that the pre-project and the project management groups should be formed with electrical, mechanical, and civil engineers with at least Master’s degree in nuclear power engineering and training in nuclear power technology. Special skills are required in nuclear power plant construction, safety, quality control, procurement and fuel and waste management. While research scientists and engineers act as think-tanks for nuclear power, the construction, operation, and regulation of nuclear power plants are done mainly by the young engineers with master’s and specialized training in nuclear power engineering. It is obvious that the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), with its excellent laboratories and unmatched experience of teaching and research, is best suited to teach courses in nuclear power engineering at graduate and undergraduate levels.
Objectives:
The course curriculum for an M.Sc. Engineering/M. Engineering in Nuclear Power Engineering has been devised keeping in mind the present and future need of the country for qualified and skilled manpower for planning, construction, regulation and operation of nuclear power plants and their ancillary facilities. The course is designed to educate students in the fundamental subjects necessary for a career in nuclear power engineering and prepare them for advanced education in the same or related fields. Normally graduates in electrical, mechanical, and other relevant branches of engineering and sciences will be admitted to the course.
Course Structure:
The total credit requirement of the M.Sc. Engineering/M. Engineering in Nuclear Power Engineering (NPE) degree program will be 36. For M. Engineering in NPE degree a student shall need to earn 12 credits from core courses and 18 credits from optional courses. The M. Engineering research project will have six credits. For M.Sc. Engineering in NPE degree a student shall need to earn a minimum of 6 credits from core courses based on supervisor's advice. Each student shall undergo a non-credit training program at a Nuclear Establishment, such as AERE at Savar and shall submit a report based on the results/experience. The detailed course structure is given below:
I. Core Courses
II. Optional Courses
Syllabus of Core Courses
NPE 6101: Nuclear and Reactor Physics (3 credits)
Review of nuclear structure, reactions, neutron interaction and radioactivity, stable and unstable isotopes, isotope separation, nuclear cycles, radioactive decay, decay products and chains; cross-sections and fundamental forces and the resulting phenomena; reactor statics: multiplication factor and criticality, neutron flux distribution, four and six factor formula, reactor shielding and radiation protection; reactor dynamics: kinetics, reactor control and plant dynamics, fission product poisoning; neutron transport and diffusion approximation; nuclear physics based on reactor design and its relationship to reactor engineering.
References
Book:
Lamarsh, J.R., Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Theory, ANS, (2002).
K. O. Ottand W.A. Bazella, Introductory Nuclear Reactor Statics, American Nuclear Society.
S. Glasstone, and A. Sesonske, Nuclear Reactor Engineering, D Van Nostrand.
S. Yip, Nuclear Radiation Interactions, World Scientific, (2014).
NPE 6102: Nuclear Power Plant Engineering (3 credits)
Nuclear energy, technology of nuclear power plant, reactor coolant system, safety issues, power conversion and auxiliary systems, thermodynamic analysis of nuclear power plant, Rankine cycle, Brayton cycle; non-steady flow analysis: containment pressurization process, pressurizer to load changes; power systems analysis and protection, electrical load flow analysis, power plant economics, grid interconnection.
References
Book:
Neil E. Todreas and MujidS. Kazimi, Nuclear Systems Vol. I: Thermal Hydraulic Fundamentals, Second Edition, (2nd ed.), CRC Press (2012)
Raymond L. Murray and Keith E. Holbert, Nuclear Energy: An Introduction to the Concepts, Systems, and Applications of Nuclear Processes; Elsevier, NY, 7th edition, (2015).
Christopher E. Brennen, An Introduction to Nuclear Power Generation; Dankat Publishing Company, (2013).
John R. Lamarsh and Anthony J. Baratta, Introduction to Nuclear Engineering; Pearson, USA, (2014).
Report:
International Atomic Energy Agency, Technical Reports on Different Nuclear Systems and Electric Grid Reliability and Interface with Nuclear Power Plants.
NPE 6103: Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics (3 credits)
Overview of nuclear reactor systems, applications of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer in design and safety analyses of nuclear power plants; thermal hydraulic characteristics of nuclear power plants, energy conversion cycles, governing equations for inviscid and viscous single-phase flow, conduction and convection heat transfer and thermal design of fuel elements; two-phase flow and boiling heat transfer, critical heat flux and departure from nuclear boiling ratio; heat transfer mechanisms in reactor core and sub-channel thermal hydraulics: application of computational fluid dynamics in thermal hydraulics and in core thermal design; nuclear thermal hydraulics concerned with safe and efficient heat removal from reactor core for power production; methods of safety analysis.
References
Book:
N. E. Todreas and M. S. Kazimi, Nuclear Systems I-Thermal Hydraulic Fundamentals Hemispere publishing (1980).
N. E. Todreas and M. S. Kazimi, Nuclear Systems II-Elements of Thermal- Hydraulic Design.
Collier, Convective Boiling and Condensation 2ndedition, Oxford Publishing (1994).
El-Wakil, Nuclear Heat Transport American Nuclear Society.
Lahey and Moody, The Thermal-Hydraulics of a Boiling Water Nuclear Reactor.
Tong and Weisman, Thermal Analysis of Pressurized Water Reactors.
L.S. Tong and Y.S. Tang. Boiling heat Transfer and Two-Phase Flow,2nd edition, Taylor and Francis, (1997).
JG Collier and GF Hewitt, Introduction to Nuclear Power, Hemisphere Publishing Corporation, New York, (2000).
E. E. Lewis Nuclear Reactor Safety, Wiley (1997).
Robert E. Masterson, Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics: An Introduction to Nuclear Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow, CRC Press, (2019).
H. Akimoto, Y. Anoda, K. Takase, H. Yoshida, and H. Tamai, Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics, Springer, Japan, (2016).
NPE 6104: Radiation Measurement and Protection (3 credits)
Counting statistics, properties of ionization chambers, proportional counters, Geiger- Muller counter, scintillation detectors, solid-state and other types of detectors; interaction of radiation with matters, radiation monitoring equipment, radiation dosimetry and measurements, quantitative and qualitative analysis of radiation; experiments on alpha, beta, gamma, and neutrons measurements; radiation health effects and regulations effects of different types of radiation, radiation units, biological effects of radiation, dose rate and dose distribution, attenuation of nuclear radiation, shielding of gamma rays and neutrons.
References
Book:
U. G. F. Knoll, Radiation Detection and Measurement, 4th Ed, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2010).
Cember and T. Johnson, Introduction to Health Physics. McGraw-Hill Medical;4th edition (2008).
R. A.Knief, Nuclear Engineering: Theory and Technology of Commercial Nuclear Power, (2nd ed.) American Nuclear Society.
D. McGregor and J. K. Shultis, Radiation Detection: Concepts, Methods, and Devices, CRC Press (2020).
Obodovskiy, Radiation: Fundamentals, Applications, Risks, and Safety, Elsevier, (2019).
K. M. Varier, Nuclear Radiation Detection, Measurements and Analysis, ASI Ltd., (2009).
N. Tsoulfanidis and S. Landsberger, Measurement and Detection of Radiation, CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, (2015).
Syllabus of Optional Courses
NPE 6105: Nuclear Material Engineering (3 credits)
The role of materials in reactors, components of nuclear reactors- fuel, cladding, coolant, moderator, reflector, shielding, structure and control rod and their properties; production and fabrication of fuel materials including uranium, plutonium and thorium; effects of radiation and harsh environments on different reactor materials; coulomb collisions of charged particles, their effects on structured materials; damage and defect production, knock-ons, transmutation, cascades and swelling; material lattices and defects and the consequent understanding of strength of materials, fatigue, cracking, and corrosion.
References
Book:
Selected Nuclear Materials and Engineering Systems, Materials Science International Team MSIT, Springer; 1st edition (2007).
B. Ma, Nuclear Reactor Materials, Van Nostrand (1983).
K. L. Murty and I. Charit, An Introduction to Nuclear Materials: Fundamentals and Applications, John Wiley and Sons (2013).
NPE 6106: Nuclear Reactor Safety and Regulations (3 credits)
Safety philosophies and safety criteria of nuclear power plant (NPP), design criteria; multiple barriers to contain radioactivity, deterministic and probabilistic models; reactor accidents- lessons and conclusions; risk assessment; engineering safety features, passive safety systems, levels of probabilistic safety analysis (PSA), reliability analysis, core catchers; release and dispersal of radioactive materials and radiological consequences; reactor licensing, nuclear regulations and functions of nuclear regulatory authority, policies and methods for limiting nuclear-weapons proliferation, including nuclear detection, materials security and fuel-cycle policy.
References
Book:
G. Cacuci, Nuclear Reactor Safety Systems. Woodhead Publishing Ltd. (2011).
F. Farmer, Nuclear Reactor Safety, Elsevier, (2012).
G. Petrangeli, Nuclear Safety, Elsevier, (2006).
NPE 6107: Numerical Methods in Nuclear Engineering (3 credits)
Introduction to numerical methods commonly encountered in nuclear engineering calculations, finite differencing, explicit and implicit techniques, convergence and stability criteria; application of the above techniques to one group diffusion equation, multi-group diffusion equation, coupled diffusion equation with delayed neutrons, heat conduction and convection, criticality search method; generation of heterogeneous cross-sections; neutron transport theory– Boltzmann transport equation; Monte Carlo method for neutron transport.
References
Book:
1. S. Nakamura, Computational Methods in Engineering and Science. J. Wiley & Sons; (1996).
M. J. Clark, Numerical Methods of Reactor Analysis, Elsevier, (2012)
NPE 6108: Reactor Control and Nuclear Instrumentation (3 credits)
Elementary servomechanism, open and close loop systems, reactor control mechanism, control rod drive mechanism, chemical shim and burnable poison; in-core instrumentation for measurement of neutron flux, temperatures of reactor components like fuel, cladding and coolant at various points, pressure and coolant flow; various techniques for reactor control including signal validation, supervisory algorithms, model-based trajectory tracking, and rule-based control; automation in nuclear reactor control and operation.
References
Book:
K. Krishnaswamy and M. P. Bala, Power Plant Instrumentation, 2nd edition, PLP Ltd., (2013).
International Atomic Energy Agency, Modern Instrumentation and Control for Nuclear Power Plants: A Guidebook, (1999).
M Cappelli, Handbook on Instrumentation and Control Systems for Nuclear Power Plants, Elsevier Science, (2020).
NPE 6109: Advanced Nuclear Power Reactors (3 credits)
Evolution of nuclear power plants; design philosophy and characteristics of advanced nuclear power plants (generation-III and III+), advanced boiling water reactors (ABWR)– case study, advanced pressurized water reactors (APWR)- case study VVER- 1200 reactor technology); design concepts of generation-IV nuclear power reactors; thermal reactors- very-high-temperature reactor, Molten-salt reactor (MSR), Supercritical-water-cooled reactor (SCWR), Fast reactors- Gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR), Sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), Lead-cooled fast reactor. Small modular reactor (SMR).
References
Book:
IAEA Advanced Reactors Information Systems (ARIS): Technical data, characteristics, and publications (https://aris.iaea.org/).
M. Holt and D. A. Arost, Advanced Nuclear Reactors: Technology Overview and Current Issues, Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp Print Us, (2019).
NPE 6110: Non-Destructive Evaluation and Tomography (3 credits)
Introduction, reasons for performing non-destructive testing (NDT), surface techniques, dye penetrant, magnetic particle testing, ultrasonic: principles and practical applications, automated and advanced techniques, radiography: principles and techniques and image interpretation, electro-magnetic methods, eddy currents, thermography, acoustic emission, gamma and neutron radiography, demonstrating NDT reliability; material defects diagnosis, tomography and imaging.
References
Book:
X. E. Gros, Applications of NDT Data Fusion. Springer; 1st edition (2001).
P. E. Mix von John, Introduction to Nondestructive Testing: A Training Guide, Wiley & Sons; (2005).
NPE 6111: Nuclear Power Plant Management and Economics (3 credits)
Management principles; project cycle: planning, financing, implementation, evaluation; supply chain management, operational management, inventory control and management, e-management system, operational management, human resource development and training; project approval process; feasibility study: site selection, financial, economic, technological, environmental, safety and security consideration; swot (strength weakness opportunity and threats) analysis, sensitivity analysis, ratio analysis and break-even analysis; government policies, laws, regulations and licensing; technical bid evaluation and awards, quality management system; basic of power plant economics; economic analysis of nuclear power plant: construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance, radioactive waste management, decommissioning; fuel and electricity pricing, life cycle analysis
References
Book:
Geoffrey Rothwell, Economics of Nuclear Power, (2015)
IAEA guidebooks
NPE 6112: Nuclear Fuel Cycle (3 credits)
Mining and milling of uranium ore, conversion to uranium hexafluoride, enrichment of uranium, conversion to dioxide, fuel fabrication; fuel burn-up and in-core reactivity and fuel management in different types of reactors, nuclear fuel utilization, conversion and breeding ratios; reprocessing of spent fuels; uranium and thorium cycles; mixed oxide fuels; proliferation risk, nonproliferation aspects, disposal of excess weapon grade plutonium, and transmutation of long lived radioisotopes in spent fuel; nuclear material safeguards, nuclear criticality safety, nuclear waste disposal.
References
Book:
Nicholas Tsoulfanidis, The Nuclear Fuel Cycle, American Nuclear Society, (2013).
P. D. Wilson, The Nuclear Fuel Cycle: From Ore to Wastes, Oxford University Press, (1996).
NPE 6113: Nuclear Waste Management (3 credits)
Chemical behavior in reactors (normal and accident); reactor waste management, low, medium, and high level wastes, on-site spent fuel management, spent nuclear fuel aging, characteristics of spent fuel, storage verification, transmutation of transuranium elements, disposal options, reprocessing option, separation processes in reprocessing (aqueous, pyro, and molten salt), waste treatment processes; management of radioactive wastes, waste forms, classification, fundamental principles, governing equations for radionuclide transport; performance assessment of geological waste disposal systems and implications of advanced fuel cycles.
References
Book:
J. H. Saling and A. W. Fentiman, Radioactive Waste Management. Taylor and Francis Editions; 2nd edition (2001).
J. Zhang, Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing and Waste Management, World Scientific, (2018).
NPE 6114: Reactor Kinetics and Control (3 credits)
Reactor kinetics, one group model, prompt and delayed neutrons; reactivity and period: positive reactivity and negative reactivity, neutron flux after shutdown, the Inhour formula, prompt-critical condition, fission product poisoning; effect of temperature on reactivity; reactor stability analysis; reactor control mechanisms, control loop, effectiveness of control rods, control material, control system function, water gap effect, chemical shim and burnable poisons, calculation of reactivity worth of control rods and chemical shim; control in reactor operation: control instrumentation, ion pairs, ionization chamber, proportional counter, out of core and in-core sensors, reactor start- up, normal operation, and shut down.
References
Book:
J.R. Lamarsh and A.J. Baratta, Introduction to Nuclear Engineering, Prentice Hall; 3rd edition (2001).
Jeffery Lewins, Nuclear Reactor Kinetics and Control, Elsevier, (2013)
Y. Oka, K. Suzuki, and T. Kiguchi, Nuclear Reactor Kinetics and Plant Control, Elsevier, (2013)
NPE 6115: Radiation and Nuclear Health Physics (3 credits)
Interaction of radiation with matter; physical, chemical and biological effects of radiation on human tissues; dosimetry units and measurements; internal and external radiation fields and dosimetry; radiation exposure regulations; radiation protection justification (benefit vs. risk) and optimization; sources of radiation and radioactivity; basic shielding concepts; elements of radiation protection and control; nuclear medical applications; symptom and detections, imaging, diagnosis, and treatment; theories and models for cell survival, radiation sensitivity, carcinogenesis and dose calculation.
References
Book:
E. B. Podgorsak, Radiation Physics for Medical Physicist, Elsevier, (2013).
S. R. Cherry, J. A. Sorenson, and M. E. Phels, Physics in Nuclear Medicine, Elsevier, (2012).
T. Key, Nuclear and Radiation Physics in Medicine, World Scientific, (2014).
D. A. Pryma, Nuclear Medicine, Practical Physics, Artifacts and Pitfalls, Oxford University Press, (2014).
R. A. Powsner and E. R. Powsner, Essential Nuclear Medicine Physics, 2nd Ed. Blackwell Publishing, (2006).
T. K. Gupta, Radiation, Ionization, Detection in Nuclear Medicine, Elsevier, (2013).
Report:
IAEA, Radiation Safety Standards
NPE 6116: Fusion and Fast Reactor Technology (3 credits)
Fusion Systems: basic nuclear physics and plasma physics for controlled fusion, fusion cross sections and consequent conditions required for ignition and energy production; elementary plasma stability considerations and the limits imposed; plasma heating by neutral beams and RF; controlled thermonuclear fusion; principles of magnetic and inertial confinement, resistive and superconducting magnets, cryogenic features; fusion reactor design: support technology for fusion systems, explosion and implosion, laser fusion, stellarators, reverse field pinch (RFP), Tokamaks, ITER (international thermonuclear experimental reactor).
References
Book:
M Claessens, ITER: The Giant Fusion Reactor, Springer (2020).
J. Parisi and J. Ball, The Future of Fusion Energy, World Scientific, (2018).
Report:
IAEA Technical Reports on First Reactor Technology.
GEN. IV International Forum Report
NPE 6117: Special Topics (3 credits)
Any other topic relating to nuclear power engineering, not mentioned above, if offered by the Institute.
NPE 6000: Research Project/Thesis as per CSAR BUET
Application of engineering principles to a significant nuclear power project/thesis work. The project/thesis should also consider realistic technical, economic and safety requirements. The design project progresses step-by-step from the stages of problem definition, analysis, and synthesis to design and tests. Students will deliver a final report and an oral presentation as per CSAR BUET.
Contact
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Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering (INPE),
10th Floor, ECE Building, BUET Campus
Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
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