The RBMK reactor design pictured above was used at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. This severely flawed design has a "positive void coefficient", meaning the nuclear chain reaction and power output increases when cooling water is lost. (Image courtesy of U.S. Dept. of Energy's International Nuclear Safety Center.)
Instructors:
Prof. Mujid S. Kazimi
Prof. Oral Buyukozturk
Prof. Oral Buyukozturk
MIT Course Number:
22.314J / 1.56J / 2.084J
Level:
Graduate
Course Features
Course Description
This course deals with structural components in nuclear power plant systems, their functional purposes, operating conditions, and mechanical-structural design requirements. It combines mechanics techniques with models of material behavior to determine adequacy of component design. Considerations include mechanical loading, brittle fracture, in-elastic behavior, elevated temperatures, neutron irradiation, and seismic effects.
