Objectives:
- To place the world and the Belgian nuclear energy production in its economic, social, technical and cultural context.
- To define the scope and the structure of the post-graduate inter-university programme.
- To introduce to the teaching method (largely based on individual work).
- To give a first overview of nuclear electricity generation and an introduction to reactor and plant engineering.
List of topics:
- Global energy issue: world energy needs (developing world), greenhouse effect, liberalisation of the energy markets, strategic independence of the EU.
- Environmental issues
- Birds-eye view of nuclear power generation: principle of generating electricity by nuclear means (fission; chain reaction; heat transfer to coolant; turbine; alternator); fissile & fertile materials; burn up; production of fission products; breeding; current types of power plants (PWR, BWR,…); future types of power plants (LWR-type, gas cooled, ADS, …); introduction to the fuel cycle; front end, back end; intro to safety aspects of nuclear reactors (criticality; core melt); engineered safety systems; risk; difference with research reactors & fusion reactors; proliferation issues & safeguards.
- economics of nuclear power generation: European Utility Requirements; life time of existing NPP's; cost of nuclear kWh; investment costs of new types NPP's; construction time and licensing process; decommissioning costs; internalisation of waste management; external costs.
- public perception & communication (media, general public, public authorities)
Amplitude and teaching methods:
- 1 t.m.
- It includes an introduction to SCK•CEN activities and a visit to SCK•CEN library.