3 Credit Hours

In this course we will study the basic role of fuel in reactor operation and understand how the fuel impacts heat generation and transport to the coolant. The course will begin with an overview of different fuels and the fabrication processes required to construct nuclear fuel. This will include various fuel types and geometries, with a focus on light water reactor fuel and cladding. Thermal transport, mechanics, and thermomechanics affecting fuel behavior will be introduced, and methods to solve the governing equations numerically and analytically will be developed. Subsequently, changes in the fuel and cladding material that degrade the performance of the fuel will be examined. Finally, the knowledge gained throughout the course will be utilized to conduct fuel performance simulations with MOOSE.

Prerequisite

Nuclear Materials (NE 409) or equivalent.

Course Requirements

Percentage of grade	Component	Details and timing of feedback
64%	Exams	·     Four exams, each worth 16%.  ·     Exams will be preceded by an in-class problem session.  ·     You will receive a grade/feedback within one week of the date of the exam.
16%	Presentation	·     Presentation during class summarizing an assigned paper on nuclear fuel performance. ·     You will receive a grade/feedback within one week of the date of the presentation.
20%	MOOSE Project	·     Project conducted throughout the class utilizing a fuel performance software.  ·     The project will be conducted in 3 parts, worth 5%, 5%, and 10% of the total grade, respectively.  ·     You will receive a grade/feedback within one week of the due date for each part.

Course Topics

Course schedule is subject to change with appropriate notification of students.

• Module 1: Fuels, Systems, Heat Conduction Equation, and Numerical Discretization
• Module 2: Mechanics, Thermomechanics, and Intro to MOOSE
• Module 3: Fission Products, Swelling, and Pellet Cladding Interactions
• Module 4: Corrosion, Accidents, and Advanced Fuels

Textbook

N/a.

Updated: 11/17/2025.