Teaching
NE 509: Nuclear Materials
In this course, most of the materials issues encountered in the operation of nuclear power reactors are discussed. The objective of the course is to give students a background in materials for nuclear power reactors and to discuss the unique changes that occur in these materials under the reactor environment, so that students understand the limitations put on reactor operations and reactor design by materials performance. In the first part of the course we review basic concepts of physical metallurgy to develop an understanding of the relationship between microstructure and material properties outside of irradiation. In the second part of the course, we describe the process of radiation-material interaction, present the methods to calculate atomic displacement damage produced by exposure to irradiation, and describe the changes in material properties that results from irradiation exposure. In the third part of the course, special attention is given to property changes affecting the fuel and cladding performance and operational safety such as corrosion of the cladding, hydriding, fuel expansion, Pellet-Cladding Interactions, stress corrosion-cracking.
Objectives
- To understand the basics of physical metallurgy and of the relationship between material microstructure and macroscopic properties, outside of irradiation.
- To understand the basic mechanisms of materials degradation in the reactor environment (radiation damage, corrosion, hydriding etc.) (in structural and cladding materials as well as fuel materials).
- To understand and be more knowledgeable about materials degradation issues in nuclear reactor environment.
NE 591: Advanced Characterization of Nuclear Materials
This course introduces characterization needs of nuclear materials, atomic structure and spectra, X-ray scattering and diffraction, electron scattering and imaging, special topics on nuclear materials sampling, post-irradiation examination, other advanced characterization techniques and their application in nuclear materials studies. While some of these concepts are traditionally covered in materials science and engineering curricula, the primary focus of this course is to equip students with a deep understanding of the principles and practical application of nuclear materials characterization. Upon completion of this course, students will possess the knowledge and skills needed to investigate scientific and engineering questions in nuclear materials science through the utilization of various characterization techniques and methods.
Objectives
- Uses basic material knowledge to understand the microstructure – property relationships in nuclear materials.
- Explores the usage of modern examination techniques to characterize and qualify materials for structural and energy applications.