The Faculty of the School of Nuclear Engineering has
approved the following new dual level course.This action is now submitted to the Engineering Faculty with a
recommendation for approval.
NUCL 553Nano-Macro Scale Applications of Nuclear
Technology
Sem. 1, Class 3, cr. 3.
Prerequisite:Senior/Graduate student standing in science,
engineering or technology
or consent of instructor.
Introduce the principles of nuclear science and engineering
for addressing industrial and scientific issues ranging from sub nano to macro
scales.Areas to be covered will include
propulsion, high energy density materials, supercooling, medical applications,
sonoluminescence, novel detection systems for special nuclear and contraband
materials, and advanced nuclear fusion power systems.
REASON:Nuclear engineering-based technology
affects a wide range of disciplines.Yet, all existing courses relate primarily to applications involving
nuclear fission power reactor systems.There is no coherent course that depicts the multifarious applications
of nuclear technology affecting areas as wide as propulsion, to next generation
clean power sources, to international security – involving sub femto to macro
mass, length and time scales. The
course has been offered twice on a trial basis with 7 students in Spring 2004,
and 6 students during Fall 2004.This
course can be taken as a technical elective course.A condensed version was also offered to the
2004 Freshman class ENGR103.
______________________________
Lefteri H. Tsoukalas
Head, School of Nuclear
Engineering
NUCL 553
Nano-Macro Scale
Applications of Nuclear Technology
1.Course Title for Official Student Ledger:NANO-MACRO NUCL TECH Technology
2.Justification:Nuclear technology impacts various facets of life for which an
enormous technology base has been developed over 100 years of R&D.A course is needed that elevates awareness of
this technology base to then intentionally focus, search for opportunities and
apply this knowledge base to the non-nuclear industrial world and for resolving
grand challenges of today.No such
course is taught at present.
3.Course Level: Dual level Engineering
Course
4.Pre-requisite:Graduate or senior standing in science, engineering or technology or
consent of instructor.
5.Course Instructor:School
of Nuclear Engineering
faculty.
6.Course Outline:
Course Objectives:
-To provide students with practical insights on
inter-disciplinary applications of nuclear technology and theories to address
grand-challenges of life and to prepare them for a life-long learning
experience.
-To provide principles of nuclear technology theory
(reactor, medical, safety, thermal-hydraulics) and overview of research
knowledge developed over the past 50 years;
-To enable students to apply the vast knowledge base of
technology for application to national security, industrial safety (e.g.,
metals casting), powder production, variable-thrust propulsion, space power
applications, food safety, medicine (cancer cell destruction), novel high
energy density power source development.
Text:
Class notes, along with materials consisting of research
articles, reports and materials from a wide variety of sources.No formal text exists but is under
preparation; Professor Taleyarkhan has been preparing one such text.
OUTLINE OF CLASS LECTURE SERIES
Lecture Series
Content
1
General Introduction
to Nuclear Technology and Related R&D Enterprise
nNuclear scales (force levels
relative to gravity,etc., particle types and their features)
nNuclear reaction fundamentals
(interaction of photons, neutrons, betas/alphas with matter)
nBiological effects of nuclear
particles and their penetrating prowess along with signatures
nType of nuclear reactors (power
producing, production types, research/test)
nSources of nuclear particles
(industrial and research; isotopes, reactors, accelerators)
nNuclear particle transport and
interaction modeling and analyses tools and technology
nThermal-hydraulics modeling and
analyses bases – including that for assessing
Thermal attack of structures, aerosol formation/transport
in complex geometries,
atmospheric transport and probabilistic risk estimation
for health effects.
nNuclear safety research technology
bases
-Thermal hydraulics related (CHF, stability, transients) technology for
application
to non-nuclear areas
-Nuclear reactor accident related technology and applications to
non-nuclear system
-Severe accidents related technology developed for nuclear power
reactor systems
including aerosol-gas generation/transport and health
effects and relationships to
the world of homeland security (e.g., dirty bombs, chem.-bio
agent transport,
radiological threats, accident management and mitigation).
-Energetics of nuclear interactions vs chemical interactions and
technologies
developed for containment of loads from missles,
overpressurization.
2
Energetic
Fluid-Fluid Interactions
- Nuclear Technology bases developed for
addressing melt-water steam explosion safety
- Physics of steam explosions (mixing,
propagation,triggering, expansion);
- Modeling and analyses of mixing, triggering, propagation
and expansion; along with
Missile-structure
impact dynamics)
- Spontaneous triggering versus external triggering
- Energetics of chemically-charged explosive interactions
and potential applications for
Naval warfare
systems
-Relationships to volcanology, metals
casting, supercooled powders,
novel explosives / propellants, LNG safety
- Metals industry safety (application of
principles for prevention of molten metal-water explosions)
-
Application of principles for generating supercooled powders (vastly enhanced
ductility,