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NPRE 402 / ME 405
Nuclear Power Engineering
Spring 2009
Numbe r
Date
Assigne d
Due
Date
Description
1 1/21 1/
Calculate the speed in meters per second of neutrons possessing the following energies: a. Fast neutron from fission at 2 MeV, b. Intermediate energy neutron at 10 keV, c. Thermal energy neutrons at 0.025 eV.
2 1/23 1/
Data mine the Chart of the Nuclides for the following information on elements used in nuclear applications:
- Naturally occurring isotopes and their natural abundances.
- Atomic masses of isotopes in amus. For the following elements: a) Uranium. b) Thorium c) Carbon d) Hydrogen e) Lead f) Beryllium g) Lithium h) Sodium i) Boron j) Cadmium
3 1/26 2/
The yield from the Hiroshima gun barrel device was 12.5 kT of TNT equivalent. Assuming that one critical mass of U^235 at about 48.8 kgs was used to generate this yield, calculate the energy release efficiency of the Little Boy device, as the percentage of the fissile material converted into energy.
4 1/28 2/
Plot the neutron population N as a function of the generation number n using the exponential model for the following values of the neutron multiplication factor k: a) k=1.0, critical system, b) k=0.5, subcritical system, c) k=2.0, supercritical system.
5 1/30 2/
Apply conservation of charge and of nucleons to balance the following two fissile breeding reactions: 1 238? 0 92 92 ? 0? 92 1? ? 0? ? 1?
1 238 0? 0 92 1?
n U U U e e
n U e
โ โ
โ
1 232? 0 90 90 ? 0? 90 1? ? 0? ? 1?
1 232 0? 0 90 1?
n Th Th Th e e
n Th e
โ โ
โ
6 2/2 2/
Balance the following nuclear fusion reactions by applying conservation of charge and of nucleons:
- 1 D^2 + 1 T^3 ร 0 n^1 +? (DT fusion reaction)
- 1 D^2 + 1 D^2 ร 1 H^1 +? (Proton branch of the DD fusion reaction)
- 1 D^2 + 1 D^2 ร 0 n^1 +? (Neutron branch of the DD fusion reaction)
- 1 D^2 + 2 He^3 ร 2 He 4 +? (Aneutronic or neutronless DHe^3 reaction). By adding the four reactions, deduce the overall equation for the catalyzed DD reaction, where tritium T^3 and He 3 act as catalysts.
7 2/4 2/
Calculate the activity in Becquerels and in Curies of 1 gm of the isotope Radium^226. Discuss the relationship to the Curie unit of activity.
8 2/6 2/
- Calculate the atomic ratio of [U^235 / (U^235 + U^238 )] at the time of the Oklo natural reactors 2.1 billion years ago. Ignore the U^234 presence since it is a member of the U^238 decay chain.
- Starting from the present time, plot a graph showing the U 235 decay curve at present and into the future. Submit a listing of the data and procedure you used, and execute the plot using the plotting package of your choice, e. g. Excel.
9 2/9 2/
Calculate the Q values or energy releases in MeV from the following nuclear reactions:
- 1 D^2 + 1 T3 ร 0 n^1 +? (DT fusion reaction)
- 1 D^2 + 1 D^2 ร 1 H1 +? (Proton branch of the DD fusion reaction)
- 1 D^2 + 1 D^2 ร 0 n^1 +? (Neutron branch of the DD fusion reaction)
- 1 D^2 + 2 He^3 ร 2 He 4 +? (Aneutronic or neutronless DHe^3 reaction).
- (tritium breeding reaction)
- (tritium breeding reaction)
- (neutron multiplier reaction)
1 6 0 n^ +^3 Li +^ โ?+ 1 7 0 n^ +^3 Li +^ โ 0 n 3 3 1 T +^1 T + โ2 n 0
14 2/20 2/
Assuming that heat rejection occurs at an ambient temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, for the average heat addition temperatures Ta given below, compare the Carnot cycle thermal efficiencies of the following reactor concepts:
- PWR, 168 o^ C.
- BWR, 164 o^ C.
- CANDU, 141 o^ C.
- HTGR, 205 o^ C.
- LMFBR, 215 o^ C.
15 2/23 3/
A Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) produces saturated steam at 1,000 psia. The steam passes through a turbine and is exhausted at 1 psia. The steam is condensed to a subcooling of 3o^ F and then pumped back to the reactor pressure. Compute the following parameters: a. Net work per pound of fluid. b. Heat rejected per pound of fluid. c. Heat added by the reactor per pound of fluid. d. The turbine heat rate defined as: [(Heat rejected +Net turbine work)/Net turbine work] in units of [BTU/(kW.hr)] e. Overall Thermal Efficiency. You may use the following data: From the ASME Steam Tables, saturated steam at 1,000 psia has an enthalpy of h = 1,192.9 [BTU/lb (^) m] At 1 psia pressure the fluid enthalpy from an isentropic expansion is 776 [BTU/lb (^) m] The isentropic pumping work is 2.96 [BTU/lbm] The enthalpy of the liquid at 1 psia subcooled to 3 o^ F is 66.73 [BTU/lb (^) m] 1 [kW.hr] = 3,412 [BTU]
16 2/25 3/
A Stirling cycle engine using a radioactive isotope for space power applications operates at a hot end temperature of 650 o^ C and rejects heat through a radiator to the vacuum of space with a cold end temperature at 120 o^ C. Calculate its ideal Stirling cycle efficiency.
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