2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering Graduate major in Nuclear Engineering
Nuclear System Safety Engineering
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Nuclear Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Hiroshige Kikura / Hiroshi Sagara / Masatoshi Kondo / Hiroki Takasu / Hideharu Takahashi / Akihiro Uchibori / Hironori Mizobuchi / Atsufumi Yoshizawa
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-4 Tue (I1-254) / 3-4 Fri (I1-254)
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- NCL.N407
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Apr 10, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Basic ideas relating to nuclear power safety are explained, safety features of each type of nuclear reactor plant such as boiling water reactors, pressurized water reactors, and fast breeder reactors are explained in detail, severe accidents and the one in Fukushima are discussed, and safety and security issues are explained.
Course description and aims
[Course Goals] It is important to understand safety in the research and development of nuclear systems. Students in this course should learn everything related to nuclear safety from the basic concepts to engineering applications. [Topics] (1) Basic concepts of ensuring safety and safe designs (2) Characteristics of the safety in different kinds of reactor plants (3) The intermediate storage, transportation, and geological disposal of radioactive waste and their respective safety (4) Severe accidents and the one in Fukushima (5) Safety and security, and (6) Safety of latest model of reactors
Keywords
Nuclear Safety, Severe Accidents, Fukushima accidents, Security
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
As lectures move forward, understanding is assessed by quizzes and report .
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Basic approach to Safety protection and Nuclear System | Explanation of basic approach to Safety protection and Nuclear System |
| Class 2 | Fundamental function in Nuclear Safety (Chuetsu-Oki Earthquake) | Explanation of fundamental function in Nuclear Safety (Chuetsu-Oki Earthquake) |
| Class 3 | Characteristics of Nuclear Reactor Plants in Safety (BWR) and Overview of severe accident in Fukushima | Explanation of characteristics of Nuclear Reactor Plants in Safety (BWR) and severe accident in Fukushima |
| Class 4 | Characteristics of Nuclear Reactor Plants in Safety (PWR) | Explanation of characteristics of Nuclear Reactor Plants in Safety (PWR) |
| Class 5 | System safety engineering and risk | Explanation of system safety engineering and risk |
| Class 6 | Criticality and safety control (1) Overview | Explanation of overview of criticality and safety control |
| Class 7 | Criticality and safety control (2) Case study on nuclear fuel cycle facilities and nuclear reactor | Explanation of criticality and safety control by introducing case study on nuclear fuel cycle facilities and nuclear reactor |
| Class 8 | Safety on the intermediate storage and transportation of Nuclear fuels | Explanation of safety on the intermediate storage and transportation of Nuclear fuels |
| Class 9 | Fast reactor and safety (1) Fundamentals | Explanation of fundermantals of the fast reactors and safety |
| Class 10 | Fast reactor and safety (2) Sodium-cooed Reactors (SFR) ( MONJU) | Explanation of Sodium-cooed Reactors (SFR) ( MONJU) ans safety |
| Class 11 | Fast reactor and safety (3) Sodium-cooed Reactors (SFR) (Demonstration Reactor) | Explanation of Sodium-cooed Reactors (SFR) (Demonstration Reactor) and safety |
| Class 12 | Lead-cooled reactors and safety | Explanation of Lead-cooled reactors and safety |
| Class 13 | ADS and safety | Explanation of ADS and safety |
| Class 14 | Safety characteristics of advanced reactors | Explanation of safety characteristics of advanced reactors such as Generation IV 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)
Text can be supplied form the lecturers.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
［1］E.E.Lewis, "Nuclear Power Reactor Safety", John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1977.
［2］Bengt Pershagen, "Light Water Reactor Safety", Pergamon Press, 1989.
［3］A.E.Walter, A.B.Reynolds,"Fast Breeder Reactors", Pergamon Press, 1981.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Evaluation is based on the understanding of basic approach to Nuclear Safety, Characteristics of Nuclear Reactor plants in Safety, and Nuclear Safety and Security.
Grade distribution: Class Quiz and Report
Related courses
- NCL.N406 ： Nuclear Reactor Theory
Prerequisites
It is desired that students have studied nuclear reactor theory, nuclear materials and structures, and nuclear reactor thermal-hydraulics.
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).
Professor Hiroshi Sagara: sagara.h.aa[at]m.titech.ac.jp, 03-5734-3074
Associate Professor Hiroshige Kikura: kikura.h.aa[at]m.titech.ac.jp, 03-5734-3058
Associate Prof. Masatoshi Kondo: kondo.m.ai[at]m.titech.ac.jp, 03-5734-3065
Associate Professor Hideharu Takahashi: takahashi.h.av[at]m.titech.ac.jp, 03-5734-2784
Office hours
Professor Hiroshi Sagara: 9:00-17:00
Associate Professor Hiroshige Kikura: 9:00-17:00