Nuclear Engineering (NE)
Courses
NE 3301. INTRODUCTION TO NUCLEAR ENGINEERING. 3 Hours.
Fundamentals of radiation, radiation decay, binding energy, types of interactions, shielding, and radioisotopes, fission cross section, fission in a reactor, controlling fission chains, basic reactor model, reactor theory, reactor generations I, II, III, IV, review heat transfer terms, reactor coolant, Loss-Of-Coolant Accidents, reactor accidents, safety, emergency planning zone, nuclear fuel and fuel cycle, waste storage, decontamination and decommissioning, fusion power, regulating nuclear reactors, nuclear power economics and environment. Prerequisite: PHYS 1444; MATH 3319 or MAE 3360.
NE 4302. NUCLEAR REACTOR THEORY/ANALYSIS. 3 Hours.
The neutronics behavior of fission reactors, primarily from a theoretical, one-speed perspective. Criticality, fission product poisoning, reactivity control, reactor stability and introductory concepts in fuel management, followed by slowing down and one-speed diffusion theory. Multi-group diffusion theory, finite-difference and nodal methods, core heterogeneous effects, pin power reconstruction, thermal neutron spectra, fine group whole spectrum calculations and coarse group constant generation. Prerequisite: NE 3301.
NE 4303. REACTOR THERMAL HYDRAULICS. 3 Hours.
Thermal hydraulic processes involved in the transfer of power from the reactor core to the secondary systems of nuclear power plants. Major topics include an overview of nuclear heat generation, fluid dynamics with respect to the flow in reactor channels, steady state radial and axial temperature distribution, thermal analysis of fuel elements and subchannel flow, Hot channel factors, two-phase flow dynamics. Prerequisite: NE 3301; MAE 3314 or MAE 3309.
NE 4391. SPECIAL TOPICS IN NUCLEAR ENGINEERING. 3 Hours.
Special topics in the field of nuclear engineering. Topic may vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit when topic changes. Departmental approval required in advance to use for degree credit. Prerequisite: NE 3301 or consent of instructor.