Nuclear engineering harnesses the power of the atom to do work. It involves understanding nuclear physics principles like fission and fusion, designing and operating nuclear reactors, developing nuclear medicine applications, ensuring nuclear non-proliferation, and managing radioactive waste. Some key areas of nuclear engineering include power generation, weapons development, space applications, medical imaging and treatment, food irradiation, and more. Nuclear engineers work in government, national labs, power companies, the military, medicine, and academia developing and overseeing applications of nuclear technology.

1. What is Nuclear Engineering? American Nuclear Society Purdue Student Chapter 1

2. This is it, right? 2 What is Nuclear Engineering?

3. Nuclear engineering is harnessing the power of the atom to do work 3

4. Early History 450 BC: Democritus termed atomos as the “smallest indivisible particle of matter” Early models of the atom: John Dalton, 1803: ‘Cannonball’ like atoms JJ Thomson, 1904: Plum pudding model After his 1897 discovery of the electron

5. Discovering the Nucleus Bad news for Thomson Plum pudding was disproved by Rutherford with his classic backscattering experiment This proved the existence of the nucleus in 1911

6. Discovering Electrons Enter Niels Bohr Electrons must have energy levels Proposes planetary model of the atom based on Rutherford’s Math checks out for light elements

7. Discovering Radiation 1896: Henri Becquerel discovers that uranium emits gamma rays In the following years, Marie Curie finds more radioactive elements, like radium

8. Discovering Fission Hahn and Meitner discover fission in 1938 Fermi conducts first successful chain reaction at the University of Chicago in December, 1942

9. First Nuclear Weapons Manhattan Project (1945) “Little Boy” – uranium device dropped on Hiroshima “Fat Man” – plutonium device dropped on Nagasaki

10. First Nuclear Power 1951: EBR-1 in Idaho is first reactor to generate electricity 1957: Shippingport Reactor in Pennsylvania is the first commercial nuclear power plant in U.S.

11. Radiation Nuclear Engineering is… 11

12. The Atom 12 electrons neutrons protons nucleus

13. Gamma Radiation 13 γ

14. Alpha Radiation 14 α

15. Beta Radiation 15 β

16. Neutron Radiation 16 n

17. Radiation Damage

18. How does radiation damage happen? 4 kinds of radiation: Alpha, Beta, Neutron Gamma ¾ are PARTICLES Primary mode of damage: COLLISIONAL ~ Billiard Balls Damage is a function of: KINETIC ENERGY TRANSFER [1]

19. Biological Radiation Damage The damage process Incident particles interact with the material Cause ionizations Change/Destroy Molecules Biological materials do not have a crystal lattice to add strength Much more readily damaged [3]

20. Biological effects, continued [4] With incident radiation cells can be: Unchanged Damaged Damage can be repaired, can return to normal functioning Damage can be repaired, cell functions are off-normal Can damage other cells, can reproduce unhealthy cells, can be unable to reproduce Killed The number and type of cells damaged or killed determines the impact of a radiation does to biological materials

21. How do you protect yourself from radiation? 21 Shielding Distance Time Amount

22. Radiation Shielding 22 α β γ n lead atom paper aluminum

23. How do you detect radiation? 23

24. Answer: Detectors There are many types of detectors Today we will use a Geiger-Müller Counter Basic concept: Radiation enters chamber Ionizes the gas Creates ions that are attracted to the wire

25. Geiger Counter 25 click!

26. Radiation is everywhere 26 cosmic rays concrete x-rays earth food

27. Quantum mechanics

28. Want to split an atom? Look at your Television! CRT (giant TV’s) take electrons and speeds them up. They’re smashed into phosphor molecules on the screen Collision releases energy and lights the TV screen http://science.howstuffworks.com/atom-smasher2.htm

29. How a high- energy accelerator works Differences from the TV? Particles are bigger Particles move faster (near speed of light!) Move in a circular track Collision results in more subatomic particles How it works? Particles are accelerated using EM waves like a surfer riding a swell The more energetic the particle, the easier it is to see the structures. Example? If you hit a cue ball in pool and make it go faster the rack of balls will scatter faster and further. http://science.howstuffworks.com/atom-smasher2.htm

30. What is detected? There are many types of detectors Things that can be detected: Number of particles Energy Mass http://science.howstuffworks.com/atom-smasher9.htm

31. Nuclear energy Nuclear Engineering is… 31

32. I-135 neutrons U-235 U-236 Tc-99 Fission 32

33. Fission Chain Reaction 33

34. 34 H-2 n α H-3 Fusion

35. BWR: Boiling Water Reactor

36. Nuclear Power Plants in the U.S.

37. Nuclear Power Facts Even though no new plants have been built, the percentage of US electricity generated has increased! Radiation from nuclear power has never caused a death or cancer in the United States A nuclear power plant cannot undergo a nuclear explosion

38. Inertial Confinement Fusion

39. Magnetic Confinement Fusion

40. Challenges for Nuclear Fusion Power Materials challenges First wall High-power superconducting magnets High energy neutron fluxes Lithium blankets, neutron absorbers Control of plasma We can do this if we solve the materials challenges

41. Nuclear Fuel Cycle 41 Mining & Milling – Uranium Oxide (U3O8) Conversion to UF6 Enrichment to 3-4% U-235 Fabrication in to Fuel Assemblies Burned in Reactor Storage in Spent Fuel Pool Dry Cask Storage Permanent Underground Storage Reprocessing to Make New Fuel

42. Energy Equivalence 1 Uranium Pellet 3 Barrels of Oil 17,000 Cubic Feet of Natural Gas 1 Ton of Coal 42

43. Energy Equivalence 1000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant 1 km2 1000 Windmills 100 km2 Solar Cells 5000 km2 43

44. Nuclear Power vs. Nuclear Bomb 44 U-235 U-238

45. Solving Problems Nuclear Engineering is…

46. Radioactive Waste Low-level waste: items that have become contaminated or radioactive Contaminated protective shoe covers and clothing Wiping rags, mops, filters, tools Luminous dials Medical tubes, swabs, injection needles, syringes, and laboratory animal carcasses and tissues Low-level waste is disposed underground 46

47. Spent Nuclear Fuel About 1/3 of the core is removed every 12-18 months Spent fuel is extremely radioactive! Stored in spent fuel pool at plant for 5 years to cool Moved to dry storage once pool is full Currently have 60,000 metric tons of spent fuel (covers a football field, 7 yards deep) What are we going to do with it?

48. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Nuclear material from the nuclear fuel cycle could be diverted to a weapons program Atomic Bomb Need to chemically separate or enrich material Takes a lot of time, money, and technology Dirty Bomb: disperse radioactive materials International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Facilitates peaceful use of nuclear technology Protects nuclear material around the world and verifies that it is not diverted

49. Homeland Security CIA works with IAEA to detect nuclear weapons Seismic monitoring can detect nuclear weapons testing (like in North Korea) Portal radiation monitors scan incoming cargo 49

50. Nuclear Medicine

51. What is Nuclear Medicine? Nuclear Medicine is a branch of medicine that uses radioisotopes to: diagnose, treat, and track diseases in the human body. Basic Principle: Certain organs and tissue uptake specific isotopes or chemical compounds Radioisotopes are combined with pharmaceuticals that will be absorbed in the tissue or organ in question

52. Diagnose Imaging based on function and physiology, not solely on anatomy. Scan types: Planar SPECT: Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography PET: Positron Emission Tomography CAT and MRI scans do not use radioactivity

53. Normal PET/CT

54. Abnormal PET/CT

55. Treatment Radiopharmaceuticals emit ionizing radiation that travels a short distance in the body Minimizes unwanted side effects and damage to noninvolved organs and tissues Some Examples: Iodine-131 : hyperthyroidism Yttrium-90: Lymphoma Strontium-89: bone pain treatment

56. How it Works Imaging Administration IV Inhaled as a gas Swallowed The tracer accumulates, and then is imaged with gamma cameras Treatment Administration IV Inhaled as a gas Swallowed The tracer accumulates, and then decays, delivering localized dose

57. What happens after invivo treatment? Treatments are generally outpatient treatments The treatment will continue to decay while in your body Isotopes are choose with have short half lives, so they decay quickly Your body also has a natural “filtration system” that removes the tracers from your system, known as a biological half-life.

58. Applications of Nuclear Technology 58

59. Space Application: Power Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RGT) Long life power source (months-100yr) Alpha decay heats thermocouples for electricity New Horizons Mission to Pluto RTG Apollo 14

60. Space Application: Power Fission Surface Power Source Fission Reactor to be used on the surface of the moon or mars Would be used to power a permanent outpost Liquid metal coolant used instead of water

61. Space Applications: Propulsion Nuclear Thermal Rocket Engines Propellant gas (hydrogen) is heated in a reactor and is pushed through a nozzle Ion Propulsion Ionized hydrogen gas (protons) are accelerated by a strong electric field powered by a nuclear reactor or RTG NERVA rocket Ion Engine

62. Consumer Products: Smoke Detectors Smoke Detectors An alpha emitter (Am-241) is used in smoke detection circuit Alphas ionize an electric plate Smoke stops ionization of the plate which sets off alarm NOTE: To properly dispose of a smoke detector, just send it back to the manufacturer.

63. Consumer Products: Self-Powered Lighting Beta emitters (such as Tritium) are combined with a phosphorescent material to produce light Can make lights that run continuously for 20 years Example products Watch dials Emergency signs Gun scopes

64. Consumer Products: Irradiated Gemstones Color in gemstones is caused by small imperfections in the crystal structure Most types of radiation (especially neutrons) can effectively change the color of a gemstone to something more desirable

65. Manufacturing: Radiation Hardening Radiation causes small defects in a material which hardens it Gamma radiation is most commonly used because it can penetrate deep into materials Examples: Polymerization of plastics Protective coatings for hard wood floors

66. Food Irradiation Food irradiation: Does not “kill” or spoil the food (it is already dead) Does not make the food radioactive Does kill living things in the food (bacteria, viruses) Irradiation can prevent: Food borne diseases Food infestation Food contamination and spoilage 66

68. Neutrons are used in oil well logging

69. Neutrons are also used to determine the water concentration of soil before building heavy structuresX-ray image Neutron image

70. Careers Opportunities

71. More nuclear professionals are needed The demand exceeds the supply of graduates trained in nuclear science and technology Many nuclear professionals are retiring and need to transfer their knowledge to the next generation of experts. Scholarships, awards, and honors exist for student education and research Nuclear Engineers have the 3rd highest median income among the engineering professions at $102,000/year

72. Government and National Security Nuclear Regulatory Commission Department of Energy Research at national labs Homeland security Central Intelligence Agency NASA

73. Military Navy Department of Defense Naval reactor research and development

74. Nuclear Power Plants Reactor Operator Core Designer Safety Analysis Radiation Protection

75. Power Industry Reactor vendors Engineering firms Designer, core analysis, engineering support of nuclear power plants

76. Medical Hospitals or research Nuclear Pharmacy (radioactive tracers) Radiation Therapy (cancer) Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) DNA Sequencing

77. Purdue Nuclear Engineering

78. Research Areas Ultraintense Laser Science and Technology Center for Materials Under Extreme Environment Radiation Materials and Surface Interactions Nuclear Detection and Remote Sensing Radiation Shielding for Space Applications Thermal Hydraulics and Reactor Safety Fuel Cycle and Waste Management Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Nuclear Systems Simulation Applied Intelligent Systems Reactor Fusion Reactor Physics

79. First Year Engineering Introduction to Engineering Calculus I and II Chemistry I and II Physics I and II English Communications Computer Science

80. Nuclear Engineering Curriculum Math (4) Intro to Nuclear Engr. Mechanical Engr. (3) Radiation Lab Materials (2-3 & Lab) Neutron Physics (2) Thermal-Hydraulics (2) Fluid Mechanics Lab Linear Circuit Analysis Reactor Lab Nuclear Power Systems Nuclear Reactor Theory Colloquium Series Technical Electives (6) General Electives (6) Senior Design (2)

82. Used for research and teaching

83. Get to operate it senior year!PUR-1

84. Questions? Nuclear Engineering is… ?

85. Sources American Nuclear Society U.S. Department of Energy U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Nuclear Energy Institute International Atomic Energy Agency American Wind Energy Association World Nuclear Association NASA

86. Three Mile Island Accident – Pennsylvania 1979 Cooling malfunction caused part of the core to melt, destroyed reactor Some radioactive gas was released a couple of days after the accident, but not above background levels to local residents No injuries or adverse health effects http://www.teachersparadise.com/ency/en/wikipedia/t/th/three_mile_island.html

87. Chernobyl Accident – Ukraine 1986 Flawed reactor design, operated by inadequately trained personnel, unsafe operation Steam explosion and fire released 5% of the radioactive reactor core into the atmosphere 28 people died within four months from radiation or thermal burns, 19 have subsequently died, and about 9 deaths from thyroid cancer: total 56 fatalities Damaged reactor currently contained in sarcophagus New sturdy steel containment to be built soon http://blog.kievukraine.info/uploaded_images/5436-708397.jpg