New Mars Forums

Official discussion forum of The Mars Society and MarsNews.com

You are not logged in.

Announcement

Announcement: This forum is accepting new registrations by emailing newmarsmember * gmail.com become a registered member. Read the Recruiting expertise for NewMars Forum topic in Meta New Mars for other information for this process.

#1 2024-01-06 09:12:57

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,433

Nuclear Reactor Engineering

For SpaceNut ... we have nearly two pages full of topic titles that include the word "nuclear" but none are suitable for this topic.

We (the forum) are fortunate to have a member who is qualified to speak to this topic, and I am hoping we will be lucky enough to receive some additional insights in this topic, in addition to the may already posted in the forum archive.

The opening post for this new series will be a collection of book titles offered by Amazon in early 2024.

No doubt there are many other resources available to help students to learn about this important field.

Nuclear reactor technology will be ** very ** important away from Earth, just as it is proving to be here.

(th)

Offline

#2 2024-01-06 09:17:24

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,433

Re: Nuclear Reactor Engineering

Here is a partial list of titles available from Amazon in early 2024:

Per Google:

Nuclear Reactor Engineering: Reactor Systems Engineering: v. 2
by Glasstone & Sesonske | Jan 1, 2004
4.7 out of 5 stars 26
Paperback

Nuclear Reactor Engineering, 4e Vol. I : Reactor Design Basics
by S. Glasstone | Nov 15, 2019
4.6 out of 5 stars 49
Kindle

Nuclear Reactor Engineering: Reactor Design Basics
by Samuel Glasstone and Alexander Sesonske  | Oct 9, 2013
4.6 out of 5 stars 3
Paperback
$160.52 List: $169.99
FREE delivery Thu, Jan 11

Exercises in Nuclear Reactor Analysis
by Van Rooijen Willem Frederik Geert | Feb 1, 2022
Paperback
$69.95
FREE delivery

Nuclear Reactor Engineering (Principle and Concepts)
by Vaidyanathan G. | Jul 9, 2018
4.5 out of 5 stars 65
Kindle

Light Water Reactor Materials
by A T Motta | Jan 1, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars 1
Hardcover
$239.00

Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors: CANDU (JSME Series in Thermal and Nuclear Power Generation)
Part of: JSME Series in Thermal and Nuclear Power Generation (5 books)  | by Jovica Riznic  | Oct 2, 2021
Kindle
$190.00 Digital List Price: $200.00
Available instantly
Paperback
$242.40

Nuclear Reactor Physics & Engineering Unzipped - Abridged Version
by Adrian Carrington | Jan 5, 2023
Paperback
$24.35
FREE delivery on $35 shipped by Amazon.

Nuclear Reactor Engineering
by Samuel Glasstone and Alexander Sesonski | Dec 1, 1967
5.0 out of 5 stars 6
Hardcover

Nuclear Reactor Engineering: Reactor design basics, Volume 1
by Samuel Glasstone and Alexander Sesonske | Jan 1, 1821
5.0 out of 5 stars 2
Hardcover

Elements of Nuclear Reactor Design
by Joel Weisman (Editor) | Nov 1, 1983
5.0 out of 5 stars 1
Hardcover


The thermal hydraulics of a boiling water nuclear reactor (Monograph series on nuclear science and technology)
by Richard T Lahey  | Jan 1, 1977
5.0 out of 5 stars 1
Hardcover

Nuclear Reactor Engineering: Reactor Systems Engineering, 4th Edition, Vol. 2
by Samuel Glasstone and Alexander Sesonske  | Oct 31, 1994
4.2 out of 5 stars 7
Hardcover
$193.79 List: $249.99

Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Physics (500 Tips)
Part of: 500 Tips (1 books)  | by Robert E. Masterson | Nov 22, 2017
4.8 out of 5 stars 8
eTextbook
$86.60  to rent

Light Water Reactor Materials Volume I and Volume II Set
by Arthur T. Motta and Donald R. Olander | Jan 1, 2021
4.0 out of 5 stars 1
Paperback
$299.95

Principles of Nuclear Reactor Engineering
by Glasstone, Samuel, | Jan 1, 1955
5.0 out of 5 stars 5
Hardcover

(th)

Offline

#3 2024-01-06 09:22:50

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,433

Re: Nuclear Reactor Engineering

For Calliban:

Of the titles shown in Post #2, which (if any) would you recommend for study of the Heavy Water design, which (I understand) is able to operate with lower levels of enrichment of fuel than is needed for light water reactors.

I am interested in the problem of making Tritium, which ** can ** be made from Deuterium, but the rate of production is currently very small, and in any case, it is accidental and NOT intentional.

You have already spoken to the use of Lithium to make Tritium, and I understand that there are organizations (commercial and governmental) that are engaged in such production.

My interest is in making Tritium from Deuterium.  Deuterium is far more abundant and accessible than Lithium, and there is presently no competition in that specialty.

(th)

Offline

#4 2024-01-06 17:42:29

Calliban
Member
From: Northern England, UK
Registered: 2019-08-18
Posts: 3,796

Re: Nuclear Reactor Engineering

One book that I found particularly useful whilst taking my post graduate degree was Nuclear Reactor Physics by Weston Stacey.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nuclear-Reacto … 527413669/

In my final year project, I focused more of thermal hydraulics, which is all about the removal of heat from the reactor core via a flowing coolant.  Todreas was always a good reference.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nuclear-System … 482239582/

I also found 'Introduction to Heat Transfer' by Bergman, to be an excellent resource that is easy to follow.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Introduction-H … 470501960/

I will see if I can find some of the other references that I used - it has been about ten years since I finished the degree course.

Last edited by Calliban (2024-01-06 17:55:14)


"Plan and prepare for every possibility, and you will never act. It is nobler to have courage as we stumble into half the things we fear than to analyse every possible obstacle and begin nothing. Great things are achieved by embracing great dangers."

Offline

#5 2024-01-06 18:25:17

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,433

Re: Nuclear Reactor Engineering

For Calliban re #4

Thanks for the references, and for the links you provided!

Is your thesis published online?  Sometimes that happens, but I gather it depends upon the University.

(th)

Offline

#6 2024-01-06 18:38:24

Calliban
Member
From: Northern England, UK
Registered: 2019-08-18
Posts: 3,796

Re: Nuclear Reactor Engineering

tahanson43206 wrote:

For Calliban re #4

Thanks for the references, and for the links you provided!

Is your thesis published online?  Sometimes that happens, but I gather it depends upon the University.

(th)

Sadly, no.  I ran a search for it a couple of years back.  Nothing came back.

My thesis was a concept design for a direct-cycle, S-CO2 cooled fast reactor.  I wish I could have developed it further.  It had a lot of properties that made it excellent from an economic and resource sustainability viewpoint.  On economics, it would be one of the most compact powerplants ever produced.  The concept design was about one eighth the volume of an AP1000 powerplant, but produced twice as much electric power.  The compact plant was a feature of the high coolant pressure (20MPa) and the avoiding of primary heat exchangers.

Despite the high power density, I was able to demonstrate passive safety in the event of a guillotine fracture of a main coolant line.  The hard neutron spectrum was one of the reasons I chose this design.  It would have given the reactor a high breeding ratio and would have reduced the doubling time of the fissile fuel to single digit years, rather than the several decades that are typical for sodium cooled reactors.  At the time I chose the design, I wanted a reactor that would be capable of rapid increase in capacity without aggrevating any uranium resource problems.  So a breeder reactor, capable of producing lots of spare neutrons, was the way to go.  The high power density also allows the production of extremely powerful reactors (2000MWe apiece) whilst still retaining many of the production techniques applicable to small modular reactors.

Maybe as an old man, I can pack it up again and develop it for Elon's million person Mars city!

Last edited by Calliban (2024-01-06 18:45:49)


"Plan and prepare for every possibility, and you will never act. It is nobler to have courage as we stumble into half the things we fear than to analyse every possible obstacle and begin nothing. Great things are achieved by embracing great dangers."

Offline

#7 2024-01-06 18:53:38

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,433

Re: Nuclear Reactor Engineering

For Calliban re #6

Thanks for telling us (again because this is not the first time) about your thesis work!

Given that the online version is missing (perhaps just aged out of the system), do you still have the paper copy?

You might be amazed at how far paper text readers have come since you first wrote that paper.

If you still have the paper copy, we (NewMars) can raise funds for printing a copy, and that can go into a text-to-digital processor, of which there are a great many.

(th)

Offline

#8 2024-01-07 07:38:02

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,433

Re: Nuclear Reactor Engineering

For Calliban Re #4

Thanks again for the references you recommended.

In this first round, I'd like to find a book that is the best resource for understanding design of a heavy water reactor.  I can budget between $30US and $50US this month.  Of the books you suggested, or from the list I found on Amazon, is there one that you'd recommend as a first choice?

***
Regarding your Masters thesisi work ... As you look back on that work, does it still hold up in the  current global mix?  There are strong winds blowing to favor nuclear power, while the headwinds have not abated significantly, so opportunity will be found in the buffeting region between the two.

I am interested specifically in the significant problem of intentional manufacture of Tritium, as compared to the accidental production of Tritium as an unwanted byproduct of normal Heavy Water reactor operation.  The problem is complicated by the fact that Heavy Water is chosen as a moderator and coolant fluid precisely because it does NOT capture neutrons as readily as does light water.

I'm assuming that nuclear reflection back into the core region is important, but at this point I'm unsure of which material is best to reflect thermal neutrons back into the core.  Berylium appears to be a candidate, but apparently even some alloys of steel can perform reasonably well.  The power produced by the reactor can be used to separate Tritium as it is produced, and any excess power can be sold on the open market to help to pay the bills.

(th)

Offline

#9 2024-01-07 08:18:53

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,433

Re: Nuclear Reactor Engineering

For Calliban re book offering ...

This book appears to be written specifically for the Heavy Water reactor ... It is offered in digital form, and hard copy.

Editorial Reviews
From the Back Cover
Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors: CANDU is the seventh volume in the JSME Series on Thermal and Nuclear Power Generation. Edited by Jovica Riznic, this volume is the fourth to provide a comprehensive and complete review of a single type of reactor in a very accessible and practical way. This volume presents the full life-cycle from design and manufacturing, through to operation and maintenance, and also covers fitness-for-service and long-term operation. This book does not relate to any specific vendor-based technology, but rather provides a broad overview of the latest technologies from a variety of active locations which will be of great value to countries invested in developing their own nuclear programs.

Including contemporary capabilities and challenges of nuclear technology, this book offers practical solutions to common problems faced, and guides the reader through safe and approved processes to reach suitable solutions. Professionals involved in nuclear power plant life-cycle assessment and researchers interested in the development and improvement of nuclear energy technologies will gain a deep understanding of PHWR nuclear reactor physics, chemistry and thermal-hydraulic properties.

--This text refers to the paperback edition.
Review
Comprehensive analysis of Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors and their design, operation, maintenance, safety and regulations in a variety of regions --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details
ASIN  :  B09HSCNHH2
Publisher  :  Elsevier (October 2, 2021)
Publication date  :  October 2, 2021
Language  :  English
File size  :  27745 KB
Text-to-Speech  :  Enabled
Enhanced typesetting  :  Enabled
X-Ray  :  Not Enabled
Word Wise  :  Enabled
Sticky notes  :  Not Enabled
Print length  :  503 pages
Page numbers source ISBN  :  0128220546
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Follow
Jovica Riznic
Jovica R Riznic, PhD., P.Eng., FASME, FNureth is a Technical Specialist at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), working on regulatory analysis and assessment of technical issues with operating nuclear power plants (NPP). He served CNSC on various position, including nuclear safety analysis and managing the CNSC Research and Support Program. He was an adjunct professor/thesis advisor at the University of Waterloo, Mc Master, and Purdue Universities and currently is on faculty at Algonquin College in Ottawa in the School of Business and the Centre for Continuing and Online. He conducted research at Argonne National Laboratory, Purdue University and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the areas of heat and mass transfer, nuclear reactor thermal hydraulics, multi-phase thermo-fluid systems, nuclear reactor safety and reliability, and engineering management. He is currently coordinating a team providing Canadian contribution to a number of international research projects with US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD NEA) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to address issues of material degradation and safe operation of piping components and steam generators of CANDU and Light Water Reactors. Also, he leads a team of researchers working with Purdue University on refining the CANTIA methodology for steam generator tube integrity and leakage inspection and probabilistic assessment. Currently he serves as the Past Chair (2014-2015) of the ASME Nuclear Engineering Division and the Chair of the NED Committee of Past Chairs (NED Senate, 2015-present).

(th)

Offline

#10 2024-01-07 08:29:18

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 19,433

Re: Nuclear Reactor Engineering

For Calliban ...

Are you familiar with Worldcat.org?

It is based in a facility in the city near me.  I know a (retired) member of the programming staff, which is how I know about it.

It informed me that there are copies of the book about heavy water reactors at two nearby institutions.

You may have a copy near you:

Just go to a browser and paste this string into the search window:

The results should be sorted by the location associated with your IP address.

(th)

Offline

Board footer

Powered by FluxBB