1. EP6D03 Course Description
B. Rouben
McMaster University
Course EP 6D03
Nuclear Reactor Analysis (Reactor Physics)
2009 Jan.-Apr.
2008 December

2. Contents Administrative Details Learning Objectives and Outcomes
2008 December

3. Interaction Information
Instructor: Ben Rouben
Room: AECL SP1 Conf Room B
CRL (Deep River Keys) Videoconf 1) 2)
Lectures: Wednesdays 5-8 pm (nominal time)
Note: Student active involvement and
participation in discussions is very
important and strongly encouraged.
Questions by Communicate any time. In normal circumstances, I try to respond within hrs or sooner.
2008 December

4. Study Materials
1) Course notes and postings (see webpage URL next slide)
2) Textbook: Nuclear Reactor Analysis, by
James J. Duderstadt & Louis J. Hamilton
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ISBN:
3) There are many other Reactor Physics textbooks.
4) You may also find useful material on the
CANTEACH website,
5) Note: The material I will present is not necessarily
identical to the material in the textbook, and
definitely not in the same order. There will be some
CANDU-specific material not found in the textbook.
2008 December

5. Course Webpage The course webpage will be at:
I will maintain this webpage with all the latest communications, so I encourage you to visit regularly.
To maximise benefit of lectures, read ahead of time, and think about, material to be covered in the next lecture(s).
2008 December

6. Assignments/Quizzes/Projects
Assignments with questions/problems, nominally almost every week
Project:
To be decided in consultation with students. I will assign a special project about half-way in the course, and due by the start of week 12 of the course.
The project will/may require FORTRAN programming.
Note: Deadlines for Assignments and Project must be met!
2008 December

7. Grading Tentative: Assignments: 10% Midterm exam: 20% Project: 20%
Final exam: %
2008 December

8. Learning Objectives To provide students with knowledge on:
Basic concepts and quantities of reactor physics
Neutron cycle
Neutron transport and diffusion equations, concept of eigenvalue
Operator formulation of equations
Infinite-lattice concept, solution of 1-group and 2-group diffusion equation in infinite lattice
1-energy-group neutron flux shape in source-sink problems
1-energy-group neutron flux shape in reactors of various geometries
4-factor and 6-factor formulas for reactor multiplication constant
Evolution of lattice properties during fuel irradiation
Reactivity curve for CANDU lattice
Multigroup diffusion theory
Neutron kinetics
Effect of saturating fission products (Xe-135, Sm-149, etc.)
Reactivity devices in CANDU
CANDU Fuel Management
2008 December

9. Learning Outcomes After taking the course, students should be able to:
Be familiar with, and use routinely, all the basic concepts of reactor physics, i.e., cross sections, multiplication constants, neutron flux, buckling, irradiation, burnup, eigenvalues, etc.
Understand the methods of neutron-transport and neutron-diffusion theory.
Be able to solve the 1-group neutron diffusion equation in source-sink problems and in reactors of various geometrical shapes.
Understand the isotopic changes in the fuel during fuel irradiation.
Be familiar with the lattice reactivity curve for CANDU reactors, and how criticality is maintained over time.
Describe and understand the differences between depletion and perturbation calculations.
Describe reactivity devices in CANDU reactors and their uses.
Understand saturating fission products (e.g., Xe-135, Sm-149) and their effects.
Design and code a FORTRAN program to solve the time-independent diffusion equation in a reactor model.
2008 December

10. Course Outline Introduction to Course Neutron Cycle Operators
Neutron Balance
Source-Sink Problems
Infinite Lattice
Finite Reactor in 1 Energy Group
Flux Shape in various Reactor Geometries
Subcritical Multiplication & Approach to Critical
4-Factor Formula for Reactor Multiplication Constant
Neutron Diffusion in 2 Energy Groups cont’d
2008 December

11. Course Outline (cont’d)
Finite-Difference Method; Solving the Diffusion Equation Numerically; Course Project
Neutron Slowing-Down Kinematics
Energy Dependence of Neutron Flux
Evolution of Lattice Properties
Neutron Fast Kinetics
Xe Effects
If sufficient time:
Lattice Calculations with POWDERPUFS-V
CANDU Reactivity Devices
CANDU Fuel Management
2008 December

12. END
2008 December