Whittle Karl. Nuclear Materials Science

2nd Edition. — IOP Publishing Ltd, 2020. — 219 p. – ISBN 978-0-7503-2374-1.Currently, at the time of writing, there are 443 reactors operating generating a total of ∼392 GW of electricity, with another 52 in various stages of construction, shown in figure 0.1, this is an increase in energy generation from 2016. There are various arguments both for and against nuclear power, ranging from it being necessary to generate the large amount of energy needed for modern society, through to it should be not be used as the waste is harmful and a risk to nature.
Nuclear reactors are considered highly complex and technical operations and in many ways they are. However, the principle behind a nuclear reactor is essentially the same as for most other power stations, the conversion of heat to electricity through a turbine, in this case predominantly using a steam turbine as outlined in figure 0.2.
Therefore, in simple terms a nuclear reactor can be compared to a steam engine with the reactor core as the fire box, boiling water to make steam, which rather than used to drive equipment through pressure is used to drive the turbine. This is in essence the nature of a nuclear reactor, it is how we generate the heat that is the challenge which in the case of nuclear energy involves that elusive particle, the neutron.Preface.
Atomic considerations.
Radiation damage.
Nuclear fuel part I—fuel and cladding.
Nuclear fuel part II—operational effects.
Evolution of reactor technologies.
The challenge for materials in new reactor designs.
The challenges of nuclear waste.
Materials and nuclear fusion.
Mistakes made and lessons.