Syllabus for NUC-331
PRIMARY REACTOR SYSTEMS
This course examines the design, components, and operations of the nuclear reactor systems with focus on pressurized water reactor (PWR) and building water reactor (BWR). Topics covered include reactor coolant system; core design and control; reactor vessel and internals; reactor coolant pumps; pressurizer and relief systems; and steam generators. The course also covers chemical column control system, boron recycle system, spent fuel and cooling system, fuel handling, reactor servicing, component cooling water, liquid radwaste, and gaseous radwaste. In addition, it provides students with opportunities to use nuclear reactor plant simulator software for hands-on learning experience of nuclear power reactor operations.
After completing this course, students should be able to:
CO1 Examine the design classifications for nuclear power reactors.
CO2 Describe basic requirements for reactor fuel design.
CO3 Analyze the design, components, and operations of the PWR and BWR systems.
CO4 Examine the measures for reactor systems safety and accident prevention.
CO5 Analyze the advantages of the advanced versions of PWR and BWR.
CO6 Explain the nuclear fuel cycle.
CO7 Discuss radioactive waste management.
CO8 Distinguish the other reference designs of nuclear reactors from PWR and BWR.
CO9 Assess various technologies for future nuclear power reactors.
CO10 Utilize nuclear reactor simulator software to experience different scenarios or operations.
You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the University’s textbook supplier, MBS Direct.
ISBN: 978-0894484582
Primary Reactor Systems is a three-credit, online course consisting of six modules. Modules include an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.
For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written assignments, take a proctored midterm examination, finish simulation assignments, and complete a final project. See below for details.
Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.
One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.
You are required to participate in six graded discussion forums. There is also one ungraded but required Introductions Forum in Module 1.
Discussion forums are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules. The purpose of the discussion forums is to help make the connection between the course concepts and the goals of the course. In discussion posts, you express your opinions and thoughts, provide support and evidence for the position(s) you take on a subject, and have the opportunity to ask questions and expand on insights provided by your colleagues. Active participation is vital to your overall success in this course.
Located within the Evaluation Rubrics folder of the course website is the online discussion forum rubric used to aid in the grading of all online discussion assignments.
You are required to complete six written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules.
You are required to complete four simulator assignments for this course. PWR and BWR simulators from the IAEA Collection of Basic Principle Simulators for Education will be used for this purpose. For details and directions of these simulator assignments, please refer to the Simulator Assignments area of the course website.
You are required to take one proctored online examination: a midterm exam. For the midterm, you are required to use the University's Online Proctor Service (OPS). Please refer to the Examinations and Proctors section of the Online Student Handbook (see General Information area of the course website) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures. You are strongly advised to schedule your exam within the first week of the semester.
The midterm exam is a closed-book, two hour long exam that covers materials from Module 1 through Module 3. It consists of ten response questions. For a list of key concepts that may appear on your exam, refer to the Study Guide available in the Examinations section of the course website.
You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:
If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.
The final project requires writing a substantive research report on the current state and the future of nuclear power generation in the United States and around the world. The purpose is to analyze the proposition and try to perceive the shape of things in the nuclear power generation industry in the years to come. The emphasis will be on the design and technology of the nuclear reactors, nuclear safety, nuclear fuel cycle, and radioactive waste management. However, public opinion and regulatory requirements will also figure in the discussion. The report will try to identify the pathways that will lead to evolution and development to enable installation of an additional 1000 gigawatts of nuclear generating capacity by the year 2050. For details and directions of the final project, please refer to the Final Project area of the course website.
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:
All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:
A | = | 93–100 | C+ | = | 78–79 | |
A– | = | 90–92 | C | = | 73–77 | |
B+ | = | 88–89 | C– | = | 70–72 | |
B | = | 83–87 | D | = | 60–69 | |
B– | = | 80–82 | F | = | Below 60 |
To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings).
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:
Consider the following study tips for success:
Thomas Edison State University is committed to maintaining academic quality, excellence, and honesty. The University expects all members of its community to share the commitment to academic integrity, an essential component of a quality academic experience.
Students at Thomas Edison State University are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.
All members of the University community are responsible for reviewing the Academic Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog and online at www.tesu.edu.
Thomas Edison State University expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the University insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty can take the following forms:
Thomas Edison State University is committed to helping students understand the seriousness of plagiarism, which is defined as using the work and ideas of others without proper citation. The University takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing are subject to discipline under the academic code of conduct policy.
If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, or without identifying it as a direct quote, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > Citing Sources.)
Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else’s. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.
Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.
Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.
For examples of unintentional plagiarism, advice on when to quote and when to paraphrase, and information about writing assistance, click the links provided below.
Examples of Unintentional Plagiarism
When to Quote and When to Paraphrase
Writing Assistance at Smarthinking
Acts of both intentional and unintentional plagiarism violate the Academic Code of Conduct.
If an incident of plagiarism is an isolated minor oversight or an obvious result of ignorance of proper citation requirements, the mentor may handle the matter as a learning exercise. Appropriate consequences may include the completion of tutorials, assignment rewrites, or any other reasonable learning tool in addition to a lower grade for the assignment or course. The mentor will notify the student and appropriate dean of the consequence by e-mail.
If the plagiarism appears intentional and/or is more than an isolated incident, the mentor will refer the matter to the appropriate dean, who will gather information about the violation(s) from the mentor and student, as necessary. The dean will review the matter and notify the student in writing of the specifics of the charge and the sanction to be imposed.
Possible sanctions include:
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