Introduction to nuclear power

This book provides an overview of cooling in nuclear power, and includes a description of coolant loss accidents and their consequences. Terrestrial nuclear heat generation, nuclear reactions, decay heat, fission, and the terrestrial thermal cycle are discussed. Topics covered include principles of thermal reactors and fast reactors; methods of cooling reactors; events and consequences of cooling loss with examples from cooling accidents at EPRI, Enrico Fermi, Browns Ferry, and Three Mile Island; core melt down and fuel-coolant interaction problems; refueling machines, cooling ponds, reprocessing plants; and issues relating to the final cooldown such as long-term storage of fission products, glassification, and the reuse of plutonium. The last chapter discusses the need for fusion power