Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Nuclear Technology Curriculum at Florida Tech


Dr. Lynn E. Weaver, President Emeritus and Professor of Electrical Engineering
Florida Institute of Technology
150 W. University Blvd.
Melbourne, FL 32901
Phone: (321) 674-8889; Fax: (321) 674-7022
email: lweaver@fit.edu

With the current renaissance of nuclear power generation, and with up to 47% of the workforce eligible to retire in the next 10 years, the nuclear power industry faces a major challenge in engineering staffing needs to support both existing and new nuclear plants. The nuclear industry requires highly qualified personnel who possess a sound and up-to-date understanding of the technical and professional practices that govern the safe and reliable operation of nuclear power plants and supporting facilities. The nuclear technology option curriculum that is being developed at Florida Tech is designed to train engineers from a broad spectrum of engineering disciplines (i.e., mechanical, electrical, civil, and chemical) that will be needed to construct, operate, maintain and regulate nuclear power plants and associated facilities. The nuclear technology option is an inter-disciplinary university-wide program.

Four new courses will be initially introduced - The Physical Principles of Nuclear Reactors, Nuclear Reactor Engineering, Radiological Engineering, and Nuclear Criticality and Reactor Safety. We plan to offer courses in a sequence starting in the Fall 2009 semester. These four new courses, when taken together, will constitute an option in the nuclear technology track in the Bachelor of Science in Engineering fields.

MAE 4250/5250 THE PHYSICAL PRINCIPLES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS (3 credits)

This course presents the fundamental physical principles of nuclear reactors. It covers the equivalence of matter and energy, nuclear reactions and radiation, neutron diffusion and slowing-down theory, criticality condition, reactor core, composition, configurations and long-term behavior, reactor kinetics and control.

MAE 4260/5260 NUCLEAR REACTOR ENGINEERING (3 credits)

Prerequisites: MAE 4250/5250

This course covers the fundamental principles of nuclear reactor design and operation as they pertain to various reactor systems.

MAE 4280/5280 RADIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING (3 credits)

Prerequistes: MAE 4250/5250

This course covers biological effects of radiation, natural and manmade radiation, radiation detection and measurement, radioactive waste, x-rays and radiography, and radiation protection.

MAE 4270/5270 NUCLEAR CRITICALITY AND REACTOR SAFETY (3 credits)

Prerequisites: MAE 4250/5250

This course deals with nuclear criticality concerns in the processing, transport, and storage of nuclear materials. It also deals with reactor safety systems in reactor operation, fuel storage, transportation, and processing.