Print this page Understanding Nuclear Power
Charles A. Patterson, P.E.
Course Outline
This course is intended to be a basic understanding of how nuclear energy is used to produce energy. It will provide an overview of the commercial nuclear power industry in the United States.
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to
enhance the understanding of the course materials.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Learn how energy is produced from nuclear power;
- Learn the number and types of commercial nuclear power plants in the United States;
- Learn about fuel cycle and storage of used fuel;
- Learn about the basic concerns of proliferation issues;
- Learn about the life expediency of nuclear reactors;
- Learn about how nuclear power industry is regulated; and
- Learn the basics about safety, risk, and risk assessment.
Intended Audience
This course is intended for engineers and other technical people that will be working in or considering working in the nuclear power industry.
Benefit to Attendees
People taking this course will have a better understanding of how nuclear energy is produced and have an overview of the nuclear industry in the United States.
Course Introduction
With a rebirth of nuclear power being discussed and planned, many people may be considering employment in this field but may have little understanding of the nuclear industry. Likewise, they do not have a feeling for the size or dimensions of the industry. This course will provide an overview of these issues to clarify them.
Course Content
The course content is in a PDF file:
Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right-clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader from your computer.
Course Summary
A basic understanding of the commercial nuclear power industry in the United States is presented. This covers how nuclear energy is produced to understanding the fuel cycle and regulation of the industry.
Related Links
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
