Metropolitan Community College COURSE OUTLINE FORM Course Title: Nuclear Plant Operation II Course Prefix & No.: LEC: PROT - 2420 3.0 COURSE DESCRIPTION: LAB: 0 Credit Hours: 3.0 This course introduces students to skills generally required for entry-level employment in a nuclear power plant. Topics include basic atomic structure, basic nuclear interactions and reactions, the basic fission process, and basic reactor operation. This course follows the associate degree program recommendations outlined in the Uniform Curriculum Guide for Nuclear Power Plant Operator, Non-Licensed Operations Personnel developed by the Nuclear Energy Institute. COURSE PREREQUISITE (S): PROT 2410 RATIONALE: Industry representatives asked to have course work developed to introduce skills required for entry-level employment in the power industry. REQUIRED TEXTBOOK (S) and/or MATERIALS: Title: Edition: Author: Publisher: Materials: Handouts provided Attached course outline written by: Bob Boyer Date: June 2011 Reviewed/Revised by: Date: Effective quarter of course outline: 12/FA Date: Academic Dean Kirk Ahrends Date: Course Objectives, Topical Unit Outlines, and Unit Objectives must be attached to this form.
TITLE: Nuclear Plant Operation II PREFIX/NO: PROT 2420 COURSE OBJECTIVES: 1. Students will be introduced to basic atomic structure 2. Students will be introduced to nuclear interactions and reactions. 3. Students will be introduced to the basic fission process. 4. Students will be introduced to the concept of decay heat 5. Students will be introduced to natural sources of back ground radiation and radiation sources found in a nuclear power plant. Students will be introduced to calculations used to determine radiation dose. 6. Students will be introduced to basic reactor operation in the power industry. 7. Students will be introduced power plant reactor water chemistry 8. Students will be introduced to basic material properties relating to a nuclear power plant 9. Students will be introduced to radiation exposure control 10. Students will be introduced to reactor plant protection TOPICAL UNIT OUTLINE/UNIT OBJECTIVES: Week one Objective #1 Students will be welcomed to class and go over the requirements for successful completion of this course. Students will be introduced to basic atomic structure. Be able to explain basic atomic structure, including atomic mass unit, protons, neutrons, electrons, isotopes, mass-energy equivalence, mass defect, binding energy, and binding energy per nucleon. Week two Objective #2 Objective #4 Students will be introduced to basic nuclear interactions and reactions Understand nuclear interactions and reactions including radioactive decay, isotopes, half-life determination and ionization Students will be introduced to the concept of decay heat. Explain the sources and removal of decay heat.
Week three Objective #3 Students will be introduced to the basic fission process Be able to explain the basic fission process including delayed and prompt neutrons, neutrons flux effects on reactor power, neutron leakage, and fission products. Week four Objective #5 Students will be introduced to natural sources of back ground radiation and radiation sources found in a nuclear power plant. Students will be introduced to calculations used to determine radiation dose. Upon completion of this unit the student will: Be able to explain the major sources of natural background radiation, man-made sources of background radiation and radiation sources found in a nuclear power plant. Be able to perform calculations and perform conversions used to determine radiation dose. Week five Objective #6 Students will be introduced to basic reactor operation in the power industry. Upon completion of this unit the student will: Explain basic reactor operation including reactor types, reactor parameters and control rods. Week six Objective #6 Students will be introduced to basic reactor operation in the power industry. Upon completion of this unit the student will: Explain basic reactor operation including reactor start up and shut down, core parameters, reactivity and reactivity control measures. Week seven Objective #7 Students will be introduced power plant reactor water chemistry Understand reactor water chemistry including the corrosion process and how it is Prevented Explain the types and sources of impurities found in a nuclear power plant. Week eight - Objective #8 Students will be introduced to basic material properties relating to a nuclear power plant Understand basic material properties including Stress corrosion cracking, Chloride stress, caustic stress, and radiation-induced embrittlement by neutron exposure.
Week nine Objective #9 Students will be introduced to radiation exposure control Explain the protective clothing and respirators required for exposure control Understand contamination and decontamination Describe exposure reduction methods Week ten Power Plant Tour Students will have the opportunity to tour an operating power plant. This could be completed as one or multiple tours. Week eleven Objective #10 Students will be introduced to reactor plant protection Upon completion of this unit a student will; Explain concepts related to reactor plant protection Understand administrative controls Explain limiting conditions for operations Understand safety limits
COURSE OBJECTIVES/ASSESSMENT MEASURES COURSE OBJECTIVES ASSESSMENT MEASURES 1. Students will be introduced to basic atomic structure. Explain the basic atomic structure including: - Atomic mass unit - Protons - Neutrons - Electrons - Isotope - Mass defect - Binding Energy - Mass energy Equivalence will aid students in understanding the basic atomic structure 2. Students will be introduced to nuclear interactions and reactions. Explain basic nuclear interactions and reactions including: - Radioactive decay - Half-life determination will aid students in understanding nuclear interactions and reactions - Isotopes - Ionization 3. Students will be introduced to the basic fission process. - Explain the basic fission process including: - o Delayed and prompt neutrons o Neutron flux effects on reactor power o Neutron leakage -fission products will aid students in understanding the basic fission process 4. Students will be introduced to the concept of decay heat - Explain decay heat: o Explain sources of decay heat o Explain removal of decay heat will aid students in understanding the concept of decay heat
5. Students will be introduced to natural sources of back ground radiation and radiation sources found in a nuclear power plant. Students will be introduced to calculations used to determine radiation dose. - Students will understand radiation sources found in the power plant - Perform Calculations for radiation dose: o o o Simple calculations to estimate dose Units of measurement Conversion of units will aid students in understanding radiation sources found in a nuclear power plant 6. Students will be introduced to basic reactor operation in the power industry. Explain basic reactor operation to include: o Basic reactor types - Reactor parameters o Reactivity (coefficients, void, temperature) o Control rods/boron/fission products o Reactor startup and shutdown o Core parameters o Reactivity control methods will aid students in understanding basic reactor types and operation 7. Students will be introduced power plant reactor water chemistry - Explain reactor water chemistry to include: o Sources of impurities o The corrosion process (prevention) o Types of impurities o Sources of impurities will aid students in understanding the theory, construction and equipment used for electrical distribution outside the power plant 8. Students will be introduced to basic material properties relating to a nuclear power plant - Explain basic material properties to include: - o Radiation-induced embrittlement by neutron exposure o Chloride stress -Caustic stress o Stress corrosion cracking will aid students in understanding the theory and operation of fire control systems found in power plants 9. Students will be introduced to radiation exposure Control o Explain exposure control to include: o Contamination -Decontamination o Exposure reduction methods o Protective clothing and respirators will aid students in understanding radiation exposure control
10. Students will be introduced to reactor plant protection - Reactor Plant Protection - Accident Analysis o Explain concepts related to reactor plant protection o Administrative controls o Limiting conditions for operations o Safety limits will aid students in understanding reactor plant protection