22.033 | Fall 2011 | Undergraduate, Graduate

Nuclear Systems Design Project

Course Description

This capstone course is a group design project involving integration of nuclear physics, particle transport, control, heat transfer, safety, instrumentation, materials, environmental impact, and economic optimization. It provides opportunities to synthesize knowledge acquired in nuclear and non-nuclear subjects and …

This capstone course is a group design project involving integration of nuclear physics, particle transport, control, heat transfer, safety, instrumentation, materials, environmental impact, and economic optimization. It provides opportunities to synthesize knowledge acquired in nuclear and non-nuclear subjects and apply this knowledge to practical problems of current interest in nuclear applications design. Each year, the class takes on a different design project; this year, the project is a power plant design that ties together the creation of emission-free electricity with carbon sequestration and fossil fuel displacement. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

This course is an elective subject in MIT’s undergraduate Energy Studies Minor. This Institute-wide program complements the deep expertise obtained in any major with a broad understanding of the interlinked realms of science, technology, and social sciences as they relate to energy and associated environmental challenges.

Learning Resource Types
Lecture Videos
Other Video
Lecture Notes
Projects with Examples
Written Assignments with Examples
Instructor Insights
Logo combines electron orbits, a leaf, a water drop, an atomic nucleus, and the hexagon shape of a reactor core.
The logo designed for this year’s class design project: a power plant that combines emission-free electricity with carbon sequestration and fossil fuel displacement. (Courtesy of Alex Salazar. Used with permission.)