N31: Management of the Decommissioning Process

Summary

This module provides a comprehensive introduction to nuclear criticality safety and the management of nuclear criticality safety in facilities, or situations, where fissile materials are encountered outside a nuclear reactor. It is designed to reflect the core competencies specified by the United Kingdom Working Party on Criticality (WPC), and consists of a basic nuclear reactor physics and fuel cycle pre-course reading component (mandatory for students who have not yet completed the N01 module) and a one-week taught component which includes a presentation from a visiting lecturer from industry/government, and an introduction to the use of Monte-Carlo codes for criticality safety analysis. The taught component is followed by a post-course criticality safety assessment that is designed to consolidate knowledge gained during the course and to enable students to join industry with a solid understanding of the criticality safety process.

On completion, students should be able to:

Perform a comprehensive criticality safety assessment of an operational or (hypothetical) planned facility or plant, or part therein, involved in the use, storage, or processing of fissile materials
Apply the appropriate regulatory legislation, guidance, or standards during this assessment
Apply the appropriate regulatory legislation, guidance, or standards during this assessment
Justify their analysis through the appropriate use of data, benchmarks, cross-comparison of methods, and/or sensitivity analysis

Syllabus

This module is split into two parts and comprises of the following topics:

Physics of nuclear criticality
Methods of criticality control
Criticality accidents and incidents
Criticality incident detection and response
Anomalies of criticality
Estimating sub-criticality
Criticality codes and nuclear data
Computer modelling for criticality safety
Regulatory requirements and standards
Criticality hazards during transport
Criticality safety assessment methodology