Students must enter the course with a knowledge of atomic structure, crystal structure, mechanical and thermal properties of materials, lattice defects, and phase diagrams.

Course objectives: The instructor intends to...

familiarize students with the materials used in fission reactors.

familiarize students with the history of fission reactor fuel design.

familiarize students with the fundamental behavior of fuel rods, including thermodynamics, thermal effects, radiation effects and corrosion.

expose students to common issues related to fission reactor license renewal.

expose students to some of the unique materials issues to be found in fusion reactors.

Course Outcomes: Students must be able to...

recognize common fuel failure modes and design to avoid them.

predict fuel temperatures in an LWR fuel rod.

predict fission gas release rates in an LWR fuel rod.

predict solid and gaseous swelling rates in an LWR fuel rod.

identify common corrosion phenomena from forensic evidence.

identify fuel stoichiometry from fuel rod history.

understand materials issues relevant to reactor license renewal.

recognize the differences between fission and fusion reactors.

Class meets three times per week for 50 minutes lectures.

The following statement indicates which of the following considerations are included in this course: economic, environmental, ethical, political, societal, health and safety, manufacturability, sustainability.

NE 423 focuses on the behavior of nuclear fuel and the avoidance of operational conditions resulting in early fuel failure (breach of the first defensive barrier). Its focus is on basic materials science, but there is an underlying theme of safety and economic operation of nuclear power plants.

NE 423 supports the NE program's objectives in that it provides education in a fundamental area (materials science of nuclear fuel elements) important for those pursuing a career in the nuclear power industry.