NE421 Introduction to Criticality Safety

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Instructor:       Ronald E. Pevey, Ph.D., P.E., M.B.A. 

Office:             201-A Nuclear Engineering Building 

Office Hours:   Posted on office door 

Telephone:       974-7573 

Course Description:  This course covers the nomenclature, theory, and practice of nuclear criticality safety.  The principal emphasis will be on giving the student a grounding in the basic ideas and principles of the field.  In addition, the student will acquire experience in using the principal analysis tools in use for criticality safety analyses and practice in using them in a Nuclear Criticality Safety Evaluation (NCSE). 

Required Text: Nuclear Criticality Safety: Theory and Practice, Knief, R. A.; ANS publications under "monographs". 

Course Objectives:  By taking this course, the student should gain a basic understanding of: 

• Basic concepts of nuclear criticality safety.
• Principal standards and governing regulations of the field.
• Historical criticality accidents that shape current regulations and practice.
• The use of hand-calculations, handbook curves, and modern computer methods for criticality safety analyses.
• Contents and form of modern criticality safety evaluations, and experience in their development.

• 5% -- Obtaining SCALE
• 10% -- Oral report on selected criticality accident 
• 10% -- Homework
• 25% -- Test#1 
• 25% -- Test#2 
• 25% -- Criticality safety evaluation
  

Class preparation: To prepare for each class, you should: 

• Read the class reading assignment from the syllabus
• Review the LECTURE notes and slides for the previous class, doing any exercises that are included.
• Review your notes from previous classes.

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