1. NE 543 Selected Topics in Nuclear Criticality Safety:
Course Introduction and Overview
Spring, 2017

2. NE 543 Catalog Description
Title: NE 543: Selected Topics in Nuclear Criticality Safety Description: Criticality safety computational and experimental methods for enrichment, fabrication, storage, reprocessing, and transport applications; overview of safety practices and regulatory requirements. Prerequisite: NE 421 or consent of instructor.
Credit: 3 semester hours (either graduate or UG)
Text: No textbook, only Knief’s book, which is used in NE 421, and handout material, which is provided via the web
References: Provided in handout material
Instructors: Robinson, Bowen, Taylor, Haught, Pevey

3. Course Objectives
Increase knowledge and understanding of important concepts in NCS
Provide a good theoretical and analytical foundation to complement on-the-job training and experience that is required of most NCS practitioners.
Rely heavily on the experience of the instructors, who have a combined total of over 120 years of relevant experience

4. Instructors NE 543 is team taught by: Chris Robinson Doug Bowen
Richard Taylor
Chris Haught
Ron Pevey
Each teach 3 weeks—except for Pevey, who teaches 2 weeks (total 14 weeks).

5. Robinson Topics Review of criticality accidents
Review of standards and regulations
Review of criticality safety anomalies
Probabilistic risk assessment and human factors
Evolution and inter-relationships of domestic and international standards

6. Bowen Topics Neutron cross sections Transport codes and applications
Subcritical limits
Operating limits and controls

7. Taylor Topics Uranium Materials
Single Homogeneous Unit Criticality Data
Conversions Using Hand Calculation Methods
Enrichment, Reflection, Moderation, and Heterogeneous Systems Potpourri
Selected Topics from TID-7016
Project Sapphire
Project Auburn Endeavor

8. Haught Topics Criticality Safety Evaluations
Enriched Uranium Processing
Planning for Accidents
Computer Code Validation

9. Pevey Topics
Nuclear Criticality Safety Practice
Advanced topics

10. Course web presence
The course outline, syllabus, and shared material will appear on:
Blackboard will be used for and grade posting

11. Course Grades
Each of the five instructors will proctor a ~ 35-minute exam on the content of the previous 3-week period (i.e., five 35-minute exams for a total of ~ 3 hours of exams).
All exams will be closed book, closed notes, and represent one individual’s effort (i.e., no collaboration on exams).
The final course grade for each student will be based on the average of the exams.

12. Class Schedule 1 1/17/17 Robinson 1 2 1/24/17 Robinson 2 4 1/31/17
Taylor 1 5
2/7/17
Taylor 2 3
2/14/17
Robinson 3 6
2/21/17
Robinson test on 1-3 Taylor 3 7
2/28/17
Taylor test on 4-6 Bowen 1 8
3/7/17
Bowen 2
3/14/17
(No class - Spring Break) 9
3/21/17
Bowen 3 10
3/28/17
Bowen test on 7-9 Haught 1 11
4/4/17
Haught 2 12
4/11/17
Haught 3 13
4/18/17
Haught test on Pevey 1 14
4/25/17
Pevey 2
5/2/17
Final exam 5:05 pm

13. Four Important References
Nuclear Criticality Safety-Theory and Practice by R. A. Knief, Copyright 1985, 1986 by The American Nuclear Society
Textbook for Course NE 421: Introduction to Nuclear Criticality Safety
"Critical Dimension of Systems Containing 235U, 239Pu, and 233U,” LA MS, REFSET, Unclassified, Volumes I-III, Los Alamos National Laboratory
“A Review of Criticality Accidents,” by T.P. McLaughlin, et al., LA-13638, Los Alamos National Laboratory (2000)
“Nuclear Safety Guide TID-7016,” by J.T. Thomas, Ed., U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission report NUREG/CR-0095 (ORNL/NUREG/CSD-6) (June 1978)