Nuclear Engineering Fundamentals

Robert E. Masterson (1950-2020) held MS and PhD degrees in nuclear engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and he worked for Westinghouse Nuclear Energy Systems. He was an Affiliate Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia. Dr. Masterson published extensively in the journals of the ANS and had over 20 years of experience in the field of nuclear science and engineering. He had an extensive background in the fields of reactor safety, reactor design and analysis, reactor thermal hydraulics, numerical analysis, reactor physics, reactor dynamics, nuclear medicine, and nuclear particle transport. He was a member of the American Nuclear Society. His first textbook with CRC Press, Nuclear Engineering Fundamentals: A Practical Perspective, was published in 2017.

"The author presents a fresh approach to the fundamental science and engineering related to nuclear power generation. Difficult concepts are explained in a simple way that will make it easier for students to grasp. The author has gone to great lengths to make the content interesting and uses numerous graphical illustrations to help explain the theories. The content is comprehensive and covers topics that would generally only be found in a collection of textbooks."— John Robberts, Design Point Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd, South Africa"This book covers a lot of the material used in most sophomore and junior year undergraduate nuclear engineering courses. There are a large number of review questions and homework problems at the end of each chapter that will aid the student in learning the material. The chapters tend to stand alone so that the instructor can select the chapters of interest as needed for their course. Hence, one could easily use this same textbook for a three or four semester sequence of undergraduate courses. In addition, it would be the perfect book for an introductory graduate level course for those students who do not have an undergraduate nuclear engineering degree. The textbook is written in an easy to understand manner which also makes it conducive to self-study by nuclear engineers or other persons in industry who are interested in the topic. Moreover, this textbook can serve as a single reference for use in taking the Professional Engineer’s Exam in Nuclear Engineering."— Mark Pierson, Virginia Tech, USA

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsAuthorChapter 1 Understanding the Atom and the NucleusChapter 2 Neutrons and Other Important Nuclear ParticlesChapter 3 Fundamental Nuclear Processes: Scattering, Fission, and AbsorptionChapter 4 Nuclear Cross Sections and Reaction ProbabilitiesChapter 5 Cross Section Libraries and Sources of Nuclear DataChapter 6 Radioactive Materials and Radioactive DecayChapter 7 Nuclear Fission and the Nuclear Chain ReactionChapter 8 Neutron Moderators and Reactor CoolantsChapter 9 Elements, Isotopes, and Their PropertiesChapter 10 Uranium Enrichment, Nuclear Fuels, and Fuel CyclesChapter 11 Fuel Pins, Fuel Rods, Fuel Assemblies, and Reactor CoresChapter 12 Types of Reactors and Their Design ParametersChapter 13 Pressurized Water ReactorsChapter 14 Boiling Water ReactorsChapter 15 Fast Reactors, Gas Reactors, and Military ReactorsChapter 16 Containment Buildings and the Nuclear Steam Supply SystemChapter 17 The Interaction of Radiation with MatterChapter 18 Shielding Systems and Radiation ShieldsChapter 19 Protecting Humans from the Harmful Effects of RadiationAppendix A: Important Nuclear and Physical ConstantsAppendix B: Unit Systems and Conversion FactorsAppendix C: Nuclear Cross Sections and Reaction RatesAppendix D: Physical Properties of Important Nuclear MaterialsAppendix E: Atomic Mass Tables, Half-Lives, and Natural AbundancesAppendix F: Delayed Neutron Emitters and Their Nuclear PropertiesAppendix G: Attenuation Coefficients for Radiation ShieldsIndex