22.314J | Fall 2006 | Graduate

Structural Mechanics in Nuclear Power Technology

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 …
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.
Learning Resource Types
Problem Sets with Solutions
Exams with Solutions
Diagram of an RBMK reactor design.
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.)