Chemical Engineering

BYU Chemical Engineering Courses

ChE 612 - Nuclear Reactor Design and Analysis



Notes:



Thoughts:



"Face the future with optimism. I believe we are standing on the threshold of a new era of growth, prosperity, and abundance. Barring a calamity or unexpected international crisis, I think the next few years will bring a resurgence in the economy as new discoveries are made in communication, medicine, energy, transportation, physics, computer technology, and other fields of endeavor.

Many of these discoveries, as in the past, will be the result of the Spirit whispering insights into and enlightening the minds of truth-seeking individuals. Many of these discoveries will be made for the purpose of helping to bring to pass the purposes and work of God and the quickening of the building of His kingdom on earth today. With these discoveries and advances will come new employment opportunities and prosperity for those who work hard and especially to those who strive to keep the commandments of God. This has been the case in other significant periods of national and international economic growth."

Elder M. Russell Ballard
BYU Idaho Commencement Remarks
April 6, 2012




"An academic reactor or reactor plant almost always has the following basic characteristics: 1) It is simple. 2) It is small. 3) It is cheap. 4) It is light. 5) It can be built very quickly. 6) It is very flexible in purpose. 7) Very little development will be required. 8) It will use off-the-shelf components. 9) The reactor is in the study phase. 10) It is not being built now. On the other hand a practical reactor can be distinguished by the following characteristics: 1) It is being built now. 2) It is behind schedule. 3) It requires an immense amount of development on apparently trivial items. 4) It is very expensive. 5) It takes a long time to build because of its engineering development problems. 6) It is large. 7) It is heavy. 8) It is complicated. The tools of the academic designer are a piece of paper and a pencil with an eraser. If a mistake is made, it can always be erased and changed. If the practical-reactor designer errs, he wears the mistake around his neck; it cannot be erased. Everyone sees it."

Admiral Hyman G. Rickover



"Years ago I participated in the measurement of the nuclear characteristics of different materials. The process used an experimental nuclear reactor designed so that high energy particles streamed from a hole in the center of the reactor. These particles were directed into an experimental chamber where measurements were made. The high energy particles could not be seen, but they had to be carefully controlled to avoid harm to others. One day a janitor entered while we were experimenting. In a spirit of disgust he said, You are all liars, pretending that you are doing something important, but you can t fool me. I know that if you can t see, hear, taste, smell, or touch it, it doesn t exist. That attitude ruled out the possibility of his learning that there is much of worth that can t be identified by the five senses. Had that man been willing to open his mind to understand how the presence of nuclear particles is detected, he would have confirmed their existence. In like manner, never doubt the reality of faith. You will gather the fruits of faith as you follow the principles God has established for its use."

Richard G. Scott



"Before I came here I was confused about this subject. Having listened to your lecture I am still confused. But on a higher level."

Enrico Fermi