
Physics of Nuclear Reactors
- 1st Edition - May 19, 2021
- Imprint: Academic Press
- Editors: P. Mohanakrishnan, Om Pal Singh, K. Umasankari
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 8 2 2 4 4 1 - 0
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 8 2 2 4 4 2 - 7
Physics of Nuclear Reactors presents a comprehensive analysis of nuclear reactor physics. Editors P. Mohanakrishnan, Om Pal Singh, and Kannan Umasankari and a team of expert co… Read more

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Request a sales quotePhysics of Nuclear Reactors presents a comprehensive analysis of nuclear reactor physics. Editors P. Mohanakrishnan, Om Pal Singh, and Kannan Umasankari and a team of expert contributors combine their knowledge to guide the reader through a toolkit of methods for solving transport equations, understanding the physics of reactor design principles, and developing reactor safety strategies. The inclusion of experimental and operational reactor physics makes this a unique reference for those working and researching nuclear power and the fuel cycle in existing power generation sites and experimental facilities. The book also includes radiation physics, shielding techniques and an analysis of shield design, neutron monitoring and core operations.
Those involved in the development and operation of nuclear reactors and the fuel cycle will gain a thorough understanding of all elements of nuclear reactor physics, thus enabling them to apply the analysis and solution methods provided to their own work and research. This book looks to future reactors in development and analyzes their status and challenges before providing possible worked-through solutions.
Cover image: Kaiga Atomic Power Station Units 1 – 4, Karnataka, India. In 2018, Unit 1 of the Kaiga Station surpassed the world record of continuous operation, at 962 days. Image courtesy of DAE, India.
- Includes methods for solving neutron transport problems, nuclear cross-section data and solutions of transport theory
- Dedicates a chapter to reactor safety that covers mitigation, probabilistic safety assessment and uncertainty analysis
- Covers experimental and operational physics with details on noise analysis and failed fuel detection
- Cover image
- Title page
- Table of Contents
- Copyright
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Abstract
- 1.1: Introduction
- 1.2: The atom and its nucleus
- 1.3: The nucleus
- 1.4: Nuclide number density
- 1.5: Nuclear stability
- 1.6: Binding energy
- 1.7: Radioactivity
- 1.8: Nuclear models
- 1.9: Nuclear energy levels
- 1.10: Nuclear reactions
- 1.11: Neutron interactions
- 1.12: Neutron elastic scattering
- 1.13: Neutron inelastic scattering
- 1.14: Radiative capture
- 1.15: (n, x) reaction
- 1.16: Fission
- 1.17: Probabilities of nuclear reactions
- 1.18: Variation of cross-section with energy
- 1.19: Compound nucleus reaction versus direct reaction
- 1.20: Cross-section data representation and resonance formalism
- 1.21: Fission mechanism
- 1.22: Fission neutrons
- 1.23: Energy released in fission
- 1.24: Neutron chain reaction and generations
- 1.25: Concept of a nuclear reactor
- 1.26: Thermal reactor and fast reactor
- 1.27: Spatial dependence of the neutrons in a reactor
- 1.28: Basic physics of reactor design
- 1.29: The reactor-power
- 1.30: Summary
- 1.31: Exercise problems
- Chapter 2: Nuclear data
- Abstract
- 2.1: Introduction: Nuclear data and its importance
- 2.2: Nuclear data production
- 2.3: Nuclear data evaluation
- 2.4: Nuclear data processing
- 2.5: Summary
- 2.6: Exercise problems
- Chapter 3: Types of nuclear reactors
- Abstract
- 3.1: Introduction
- 3.2: Classifications of nuclear reactors
- 3.3: Thermal neutron reactors
- 3.4: Fast neutron reactors
- 3.5: Future energy systems
- 3.6: Fusion reactor systems
- 3.7: Fission-fusion hybrids
- 3.8: Particle accelerators [11]
- 3.9: Accelerator-driven subcritical systems (ADSS)
- 3.10: One way coupled booster reactor concept in BARC
- 3.11: More topics of interest
- 3.12: Exercise problems
- Chapter 4: Homogeneous reactor and neutron diffusion equation
- Abstract
- 4.1: Introduction
- 4.2: Neutron density and flux
- 4.3: Neutron continuity equation
- 4.4: Transport cross-section
- 4.5: Fick's law of neutron diffusion
- 4.6: Diffusion equation
- 4.7: Neutron diffusion in nonmultiplying media
- 4.8: Neutron diffusion in a multiplying media
- 4.9: Reflected infinite slab reactor
- 4.10: Neutron life cycle in a thermal reactor
- 4.11: Slowing down equation
- 4.12: Neutron thermalization
- 4.13: Two-group diffusion theory
- 4.14: Multigroup diffusion equation
- 4.15: Numerical solution of the diffusion equation in 1-D slab geometry
- 4.16: Summary and more topics of interest
- 4.17: Exercise problems
- Chapter 5: Methods of solving neutron transport equation
- Abstract
- 5.1: Introduction
- 5.2: Assumptions in the neutron transport theory
- 5.3: Neutron-nucleus interaction cross-sections
- 5.4: The neutron transport equation
- 5.5: Solution to the neutron transport equation
- 5.6: Numerical solution to the neutron transport equation
- 5.7: The synthetic acceleration schemes
- 5.8: The integral form of transport equation
- 5.9: Solution to the integral transport equation
- 5.10: Method of characteristics approach
- 5.11: Monte Carlo neutron transport
- 5.12: More topics of interest
- 5.13: Exercise problems
- Chapter 6: Fuel burnup, fuel management, and fuel cycle physics
- Abstract
- 6.1: Introduction
- 6.2: Fuel burnup and its effects
- 6.3: Bateman equation and solutions
- 6.4: In-core fuel management
- 6.5: Fuel management algorithms
- 6.6: Long life cores
- 6.7: Fuel utilization
- 6.8: More topics of interest
- 6.9: Exercise problems
- 6.10: Additional exercises
- Chapter 7: Nuclear reactor kinetics
- Abstract
- 7.1: Introduction
- 7.2: Definition of important kinetics parameters
- 7.3: Prompt and delayed neutrons
- 7.4: The point kinetics equations
- 7.5: Kinetics of a subcritical reactor
- 7.6: Numerical solution of point kinetics equations
- 7.7: Reactivity feedback in nuclear reactors
- 7.8: Long irradiation reactivity effects in reactors
- 7.9: Reactor stability analysis
- 7.10: Neutronic coupling in a reactor
- 7.11: Xenon oscillations
- 7.12: Space time kinetics
- 7.13: Summary
- A.1: Annexure
- 7.14: Exercise problems
- Chapter 8: Nuclear reactor safety
- Abstract
- 8.1: Introduction
- 8.2: Fundamental safety principles and safety framework [2, 9–11]
- 8.3: Safety requirements and graded approach in safety
- 8.4: Safety features in a NPP
- 8.5: Deterministic safety assessment [12–22]
- 8.6: Reliability analysis of safety systems [4, 23–30]
- 8.7: Probabilistic safety assessment: Level-1, Level-2, and Level-3. Case studies [31–54]
- 8.8: Uncertainty analysis in reliability and risk assessment [55–60]
- 8.9: Major nuclear reactor accidents
- 8.10: Brief history of the nuclear safety
- 8.11: Summary
- 8.12: Exercise problems
- Chapter 9: Design methods and computer codes
- Abstract
- 9.1: Introduction
- 9.2: Methods of neutronics analysis in thermal reactors
- 9.3: Methods of neutronics analyses in fast reactors
- 9.4: More topics of interest
- Chapter 10: Experimental and operational reactor physics
- Abstract
- 10.1: Introduction
- 10.2: Neutron monitoring: Neutron detectors and instruments
- 10.3: Neutron flux measurement using activation method
- 10.4: Start-up or commissioning experiments in reactors
- 10.5: Reactivity measurements
- 10.6: Low power physics experiments in thermal reactors
- 10.7: Reactor start-up in sodium cooled fast reactors
- 10.8: Failed fuel detection
- 10.9: Regulatory aspects and reactor experimentation and operation
- 10.10: Some critical/subcritical experimental facilities
- 10.11: More topics of interest
- 10.12: Exercise problems
- Chapter 11: Radiation safety and radiation shielding design
- Abstract
- 11.1: Introduction
- 11.2: Basic radiation physics
- 11.3: Radiation dosimetry
- 11.4: Gamma shields
- 11.5: Neutron shields
- 11.6: Reactor sources of radiation
- 11.7: Radioactive sources in fuel cycle facilities
- 11.8: Radiation dose limits for exposures
- 11.9: Shield design for reactors
- 11.10: Complementary shielding
- 11.11: Shield design methods in fuel cycle facilities
- 11.12: Summary and more topics of interest
- 11.13: Exercise problems
- Chapter 12: Nuclear reactors of the future
- Abstract
- 12.1: Introduction
- 12.2: Generation IV reactors
- 12.3: Small and modular reactors
- 12.4: Traveling wave reactors
- 12.5: Review questions
- Index
- Edition: 1
- Published: May 19, 2021
- Imprint: Academic Press
- No. of pages: 786
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN: 9780128224410
- eBook ISBN: 9780128224427
PM
P. Mohanakrishnan
OS
Om Pal Singh
KU