ne.gif (2791 bytes)     NE421 Introduction to Nuclear Criticality Safety
§

Return to Course Outline

 


Study Guide for Test#1

Lecture 1 (and throughout the lectures, here and there): A significant portion of the exam will consist of definitions.  These definitions will cover all of the material covered in the course so far.  Review your notes and be able to give a credible definition of the major technical terms used so far in the course, including (but not limited to): 
  • General criticality nomenclature (e.g., criticality safety--Hint: use the word "prevent", k-effective, areal density, four factor formula)
  • Discrete ordinates terminology (e.g., discrete, ordinates, multigroup)
  • Monte Carlo terminology (e.g., generations)
  • Particular terminology from standards (e.g., should, shall, may, subcritical limit, upper subcritical limit, etc.)

Lecture 2: Be prepared to discuss any of the criticality physics that we have gone over in class. Specifically:

  • Be able to name three different ways of looking at k-effective
  • Each of the elements of MAGICMERV (Name and discuss)
  • The relative importance of LEAKAGE in criticality safety
  • The features of the critical mass curve (Slide 28 of Lecture 2)
    • Why a low hydrogen ratio (H/X~1-3) actually increases the critical mass slightly
    • Why a high hydrogen ratio (H/X>1000) increases the critical mass

Lecture 3:

  • Be prepared to work a problem involving the buckling/shape conversion method. 

Lecture 4: Be prepared to:

  • Discuss the relative roles of the ANSI, ANS, oversight committee, and standard committee
  • Provide the number for any of the standards, given the name
  • Define/discuss any of the definitions from the lecture
  • Discuss any of the rules discussed in the lecture
  • Discuss ideas from ANS 8.1. (You do NOT have to memorize the rule numbers)
  • Be able to apply Table 1 from ANS 8.1 to a particular situation to find limits (including for contingencies)

Lecture 5: Be prepared to discuss:

  • How the basic approach differs in deterministic vs. stochastic solutions.
  • Advantages and disadvantages of deterministic and stochastic solution strategies.
  • The three "extra" inputs that the user must provide: Number of generations, number of histories per generation, and number of generations skipped. (Be able to explain why we have to skip generations.)

The above will get you through 90% of the test.  I reserve the right to question you 10% about ideas from readings or class discussions not covered by the above points.
 
 

   


Return to Course Outline                                                                                               ©2017 by Ronald E. Pevey.  All rights reserved.