Nuclear Energy and The Nuclear Fuel Cycle (SC4101)
Course outline
This module aims to provide students with:
•
knowledge of the historical development of nuclear power and an overview
of legacy issues
•
an overview of the current civil nuclear industry and its contribution to
energy production, setting it in the context of social, economic, health,
environmental and political drivers; and future demands
•
knowledge of the key concepts in nuclear science and technology that
impact on safety, security and safeguards
•
knowledge of the main components of a reactor and understanding of how
reactor and fuel types influence safety, security and safeguards
•
an appreciation of how nuclear accidents have influenced public and
industry perception of nuclear power and have helped to shape Society’s
attempts to Regulate the nuclear industry
•
an introduction to nuclear safety, nuclear security and nuclear safeguards
cultures and understanding of the primary sources/causes that give rise to
safety, security and safeguards provision in a nuclear facility
Credit Value
10 ECTS
Course content
•
Overview of the fuel cycle
•
Mining and milling of uranium
•
Purification and conversion to UF6
•
Uranium enrichment
•
Fuel fabrication
•
Main components of reactor and fuel types
•
Properties of irradiated fuel
•
Irradiated fuel transport and storage
•
Nuclear fuel reprocessing
•
Recycling of uranium and plutonium
•
Decommissioning, retrieval and disposal of nuclear waste
•
Nuclear accidents and nuclear regulations
•
Nuclear safety, nuclear security and nuclear safeguards cultures
•
Emerging fuel technologies
Learning outcome
On successful completion of this course a student will
be able to:
•
Demonstrate
in-depth knowledge of the historical development of civil nuclear power
programmes and evaluate the future need for nuclear power.
•
Discuss
the biological effects of different radiation doses on man, relating them to
the cells affected, and evaluate methods of protecting people from the harmful
effects of radiation.
•
Explain or
debate how learning derived from nuclear accidents and/or experience of
operating nuclear facilities gave rise to safety concerns, resulting in
improved safety provision in the civil nuclear industry
•
Critically
evaluate the main components and systems in nuclear power plant and/or
associated fuel cycle facilities to derive the primary sources of safety,
security and safeguards concerns; and explain or debate how society has
responded to those concerns
Method of delivery
The majority of teaching is undertaken in intensive
mode within a single (pulse) attendance of one week duration. The course lectures are delivered by both
academic staff from UCLan and by practitioners from industry in the various
subject areas. This allows the students to understand the theory and see how it
is applied in practice. The students are supplied with pre-course learning and
during the course are provided with short tutorial and discussion sessions
where they can test their understanding. Further references are provided with
the lectures.
Location of study
UCLan Preston campus
Start Date
12th
November 2018 (one week duration)
Maximum number of ANNETTE participants
Five
Course enquiries
Dr Jonathan Francis
PL / Head of John Tyndall Institute
Academic Lead for Energy, Fire & Sustainability
School of Engineering,
Computing and Technology Building, CM023
University of Central Lancashire
Preston, PR1 2HE
Email: JFrancis1@uclan.ac.uk
Tel:
+44(0) 1772 89 3229