2021 Faculty Courses School of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering Graduate major in Nuclear Engineering

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering

Academic unit or major: Graduate major in Nuclear Engineering
Instructor(s): Kenji Takeshita / Takehiko Tsukahara / Koichiro Takao
Class Format: Lecture
Media-enhanced courses: -
Day of week/Period (Classrooms): 3-4 Mon / 3-4 Thu
Class: -
Course Code: NCL.C401
Number of credits: 200
Course offered: 2021
Offered quarter: 3Q
Syllabus updated: Jul 10, 2025
Language: English

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

Science and technologies in nuclear fuel cycle, consisting of uranium mining and refining, uranium enrichment, fuel fabrication, spent fuel reprocessing, partitioning and transmutation of actinides and lanthanides, and waste management, will be lectured.

Course description and aims

The goals of this course are as follows.
1. Students can understand the basic concepts of nuclear fuel cycles consisting of uranium mining/refining/enrichment, fuel fabrication, and waste management.
2. Students can understand the basic characteristics of radioisotopes and nuclear fuel, and explain their properties.
3. Students can get the scientific knowledge of the use of nuclear materials.

Keywords

Nuclear fuel cycle, partitioning and transmutation, actinide and lanthanide chemistry, waste management

Competencies

Specialist skills
Intercultural skills
Communication skills
Critical thinking skills
Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

In order to improve your learning, the practice will be done.

Course schedule/Objectives

	Course schedule	Objectives
Class 1	Concept of nuclear fuel cycle	Studies on basic concept of nuclear fuel cycle
Class 2	Mining, refining, and purification of uranium	Studies on mining, refining, and purification methods of uranium
Class 3	Nuclides containing spent nuclear fuels and their properties	Studies on properties of nuclides containing spent nuclear fuels
Class 4	Lanthanide Actinide Chemistry	Studies on electronic structures and coordination chemistry of Lanthanides and actinides
Class 5	Solvent extraction method of uranium	Studies on solvent extraction methods of uranium
Class 6	Purex reprocessing method of spent nuclear fuels	Studies on Purex methods for the separation of uranium and plutonium
Class 7	Pyro-reprocessing method of spent nuclear fuels	Studies on Pyro-reprocessing methods of spent nuclear fuels by using molten salt
Class 8	Concept of uranium enrichment	Studies on concept of uranium enrichment
Class 9	Uranium enrichment methods	Studies on uranium enrichment methods, in particular, gaseous diffusion, centrifuge, and laser methods
Class 10	Significance of introducing of nuclear fuel cycle	Studies on economic and scientific rationalities of nuclear fuel cycle based on balance calculations
Class 11	High-level radioactive waste treatment methods	Studies on advanced reprocessing methods
Class 12	Partitioning, Analysis, and transmutation	Studies on partitioning and transmutation technologies
Class 13	Disposal methods of radioactive wastes	Studies on deep geological disposal methods
Class 14	Vitrified glass fabrication	Studies on vitrified glass fabrication technique

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

do not use

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Distribute handouts properly

Evaluation methods and criteria

Exercise and report

Related courses

CAP.E361 ： Radiation Chemistry
NCL.C402 ： Radioactive Waste Management and Disposal Engineering
CAP.E362 ： Nuclear Chemical Engineering
NCL.D405 ： Experiments for Nuclear Fuel Debris and Back‐end Fuel Cycle Ａ
NCL.D406 ： Experiments for Nuclear Fuel Debris and Back‐end Fuel Cycle B
NCL.C604 ： Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Sepcial Laboratory

Prerequisites

You had better to understand the knowledge of basic chemistry.

Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).

ptsuka[at]lane.iir.titech.ac.jp / 3067

Office hours

send by e-mail.