2024 Faculty Courses School of Engineering Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Graduate major in Nuclear Engineering
Nuclear Materials and Structures
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Nuclear Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Yoshinao Kobayashi / Katsumi Yoshida
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-4 Tue / 3-4 Fri
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- NCL.N403
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 2Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 14, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course focuses on materials issue related to fission nuclear reactors, and covers the fundamentals of nuclear materials and structural mechanics.
The contents are as follows:
a) Introduction of reactor types and major components of each reactor.
b) Materials science of nuclear fuel materials.
c) Coolants and control materials.
d) Cladding materials.
e) Neutron radiation damage and introduction of crystalline defects into crystals.
f) Property changes due to neutron irradiation.
g) Thermal stability of defects.
h) Structural mechanics of fuel assembly and reactor systems
i) Decommissioning engineering.
Aim of this course includes getting knowledge of nuclear materials and irradiation damage, structure of nuclear reactor components and required strength for them. The knowledge is the base for nuclear safety consideration.
Course description and aims
Students will be able to explain and discuss
1) Major components of fission nuclear reactors,
(a) such as nuclear fuels, structural materials, (b) control materials, coolants, (c) shielding materials,
from the view of materials science
2) Radiation damage of structural materials
3) Structural mechanics of nuclear reactors
Keywords
Fission nuclear reactor, Nuclear material, Fuel and structural materials, Neutron radiation damage, Defects in crystals, Structural mechanics, Structural design, Decommissioning engineering
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
The instructors explain with handouts.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Nuclear fission reaction and variety of nuclear fission reactors. Main components of nuclear reactors. | Explain nuclear fission reaction and variety of nuclear fission reactors. Main components of nuclear reactors. |
| Class 2 | Fabrication process of metals and relation to their properties. | Explain fabrication process of metals and their properties. |
| Class 3 | Requirements of materials properties for nuclear applications. | Explain requirements of materials properties for nuclear applications. |
| Class 4 | Interaction between neutrons and materials | Explain interaction between neutrons and materials. |
| Class 5 | Structural defects in crystal | Explain structural defects in crystal. |
| Class 6 | Introduction of crystalline defects into materials and their recovery. Structural materials and their irradiation response. | Explain introduction of crystalline defects into materials and their recovery, and structural materials and their irradiation response. |
| Class 7 | Properties of metallic and oxide fuel materials and their irradiation response. | Explain properties of metallic and oxide fuel materials and their irradiation response. |
| Class 8 | Control materials, coolants and shielding materials | Explain control materials, coolants and shielding materials. |
| Class 9 | Fundamentals on structural integrity of components in nuclear power plant | Explain fundamentals on structural integrity of components in nuclear power plant. |
| Class 10 | Fundamentals on structural design of nuclear reactor: Material mechanics | Explain fundamentals on structural design of nuclear reactor : Material mechanics. |
| Class 11 | Structural design of fast reactor compared with light water reactor | Explain structural design of fast reactor compared with light water reactor. |
| Class 12 | Severe accident progression of FDNPP | Comprehend severe accident progression of FDNPP. |
| Class 13 | Decommissioning of FDNPP | Comprehend decommissioning of FDNPP. |
| Class 14 | Materials development of advanced reactors | Comprehend materials development of advanced reactors |
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)
None required.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Benjamin Ma, Nuclear reactor materials and applications, Van Norstrand reinhold company
K. Linga Murty and Indrajit Charit, An Introduction to Nuclear Materials: Fundamentals and Applications, Wiley-VCH
Henri Bailly, D. Menessier, C. Prunier, The Nuclear Fuel of Pressurized Water Reactors and Fast Neutron Reactors: Design and Behaviour, Intercept Ltd
Karl Whittle, Nuclear Materials Science, IOP
Evaluation methods and criteria
Students’ course scores are based on exercise problems and assignments in the class.
Related courses
- NCL.C401 ： Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering
- NCL.D401 ： Experiments for Materials related to Decommissioning A
- TSE.A202 ： Solid Mechanics and Structure Engineering
Prerequisites
No prerequisites.
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).
Yoshinao Kobayashi (kobayashi.y.at[at]m.titech.ac.jp, 3075)
Katsumi Yoshida (k-yoshida[at]zc.iir.titech.ac.jp, 2960)
Office hours
Contact by e-mail in advance to schedule an appointment.