Nuclear Engineering Fundamentals A Practical Perspective

Understanding the Atom and the Nucleus

Neutrons and Other Important Nuclear Particles

Fundamental Nuclear Processes – Scattering, Fission, and Absorption

Nuclear Cross Sections and Reaction Probabilities

Cross Section Libraries and Sources of Nuclear Data

Radioactive Materials and Radioactive Decay

Nuclear Fission and the Nuclear Chain Reaction

Neutron Moderators and Reactor Coolants

Elements, Isotopes, and their Properties

Uranium Enrichment, Nuclear Fuels, and Fuel Cycles

Fuel Pins, Fuel Rods, Fuel Assemblies, and Reactor Cores

Types of Reactors and Their Deign Parameters

The Pressurized Water Reactor or PWR

The Boiling Water Reactor or BWR

Fast Reactors, Gas Reactors, and Military Reactors

Containment Buildings and the Nuclear Steam Supply System

The Interaction of Radiation with Matter

Shielding Systems and Radiation Shields

Protecting Humans from the Harmful Effects of Radiation

Biography

Robert E. Masterson (1950-2020) held MS and PhD degrees in nuclear engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and he worked for Westinghouse Nuclear Energy Systems. He was an Affiliate Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia. Dr. Masterson published extensively in the journals of the ANS and had over 20 years of experience in the field of nuclear science and engineering. He had an extensive background in the fields of reactor safety, reactor design and analysis, reactor thermal hydraulics, numerical analysis, reactor physics, reactor dynamics, nuclear medicine, and nuclear particle transport. He was a member of the American Nuclear Society. His first textbook with CRC Press, Nuclear Engineering Fundamentals: A Practical Perspective, was published in 2017.

"The author presents a fresh approach to the fundamental science and engineering related to nuclear power generation. Difficult concepts are explained in a simple way that will make it easier for students to grasp. The author has gone to great lengths to make the content interesting and uses numerous graphical illustrations to help explain the theories. The content is comprehensive and covers topics that would generally only be found in a collection of textbooks."
— John Robberts, Design Point Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd, South Africa

"This book covers a lot of the material used in most sophomore and junior year undergraduate nuclear engineering courses. There are a large number of review questions and homework problems at the end of each chapter that will aid the student in learning the material. The chapters tend to stand alone so that the instructor can select the chapters of interest as needed for their course. Hence, one could easily use this same textbook for a three or four semester sequence of undergraduate courses. In addition, it would be the perfect book for an introductory graduate level course for those students who do not have an undergraduate nuclear engineering degree. The textbook is written in an easy to understand manner which also makes it conducive to self-study by nuclear engineers or other persons in industry who are interested in the topic. Moreover, this textbook can serve as a single reference for use in taking the Professional Engineer’s Exam in Nuclear Engineering."
— Mark Pierson, Virginia Tech, USA