Entry requirements

110 credits within a bachelor or master program in mechanical or electrical engineering. Participation in Reactor Physics.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course the student shall be able to:

• discuss the requirements placed on materials within Swedish nuclear power
• motivate the choices made for materials inside and outside the Light Water Reactor (LWR) reactor tank
• motivate the choices made for fuel-related materials (fuel, cladding, control rods)
• motivate the choices made for materials related to final disposal (copper, bentonite, bedrock)
•  account for materials and material issues, water and water chemistry, material damage, and nuclear fuel and the fuel cycle.

Content

Key material concepts, material issues, and solutions within Swedish nuclear energy technology. Light Water Reactors (LWR), cooling, moderator, absorber, basic water chemistry (including water purification and radiolysis). Iron-carbon phase diagram, steel, welding issues, Ni-, Zr-, Cu-, Ti-, Mo-, Mg-, Al-alloys, other materials (non-metallic) and the materials of the future (GEN-IV material issues). Material damage as a result of the extreme environments found in LWRs. Radiation, thermal, mechanical, and corrosion effects (crevice, galvanic, erosion, and stress corrosion). Embrittlement effects, the effects of a protective oxide layer, and issues related to surface contamination (crud). Nuclear fuel: history, design, material issues, and current solutions. Even burning, heat transfer, swelling, thermal expansion, pellet cladding interaction (PCI), fuel damage, control rods, and GEN-IV fuel. The nuclear fuel cycle and the handling of spent nuclear fuel. Special focus on the deep geological repository solution including copper corrosion, bentonite, and bedrock.

Instruction

Lectures, discussions and study visit.

Assessment

Written exam at the end of the course. Active participation during study visits.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the disability coordinator of the university.