Basic Reactor Physics

The course is intended for prospective station technicians and other personnel with tasks relating to the operation and/or maintenance of the plant.

Course aims

The aim of the course is to enable you to:

• describe the fundamental nuclear principles that form the basis of the operation of nuclear reactors
• describe how the reactor and the core are constructed at the Swedish PWR and BWR plants
• describe a reactor’s dynamic properties during start-up and operation
• describe the stages in the fuel cycle from uranium mining to final repository
• describe some common reactor types in addition to those occurring in Sweden.

The main content of the course

• Basic nuclear physics
• Structure of the reactor core
• Neutron cycle
• Reactor dynamics during start-up and operation of BWR and PWR reactors
• Other reactor types.

Prior knowledge

Knowledge equivalent to the requirement for recruitment of control room personnel.