Overview

Nuclear engineering sits at the intersection of reactor physics, thermal-hydraulics, radiation protection, materials science, and regulatory practice, yet most students and self-directed learners encounter these subjects as a sequence of loosely connected courses. A reactor physics class explains how neutrons diffuse and multiply; a separate thermal-hydraulics class explains how heat leaves the fuel; a separate radiation protection class explains shielding and dose. Rarely does any single course show how a control-rod-worth calculation in one area connects to a reactor-period calculation in another, or how a diffusion-theory result from an early chapter reappears, unchanged in its notation, inside a core-design calculation many chapters later. The result is a reader who can pass an exam in each subject individually but struggles to see nuclear engineering as one coherent discipline. This textbook was written to close that gap. It presents the full breadth of civilian nuclear power engineering, from the structure of the nucleus through a licensed, operating power plant, as one continuous argument rather than a stack of separate units. Every equation states its variables and its units before it is used. Every derivation is built up from stated assumptions rather than handed down as a finished formula. Every major concept is illustrated with at least one fully worked numerical example that tracks units step by step to a final answer, and every chapter closes with a substantial set of practice problems, each with its own boxed answer, so a reader can check their own understanding without a separate solutions manual. Across sixteen chapters, the book works through: Atomic and nuclear physics fundamentals, nuclear reactions, and radioactive decay Neutron interactions, cross sections, diffusion, and moderation Criticality and reactor kinetics, including reactivity feedback and reactor poisoning Reactor core design and fuel management Heat generation and transfer under both single-phase and boiling conditions The major reactor and power plant system types in current and historical use Radiation detection, radiation protection, and shielding design Reactor safety, licensing, and regulatory framework Nuclear materials behavior under radiation exposure The back end of the fuel cycle, including spent fuel storage and disposal Small modular reactors, advanced reactor concepts, and an introduction to fusion energy The book is written for the upper-level undergraduate or early graduate reader who has completed calculus, differential equations, and an introductory physics sequence, whether encountering reactor-specific material for the first time in a formal course or through self-directed study as a practicing engineer moving into the nuclear field. Prior coursework in heat transfer and modern physics is helpful but not required, since that background is reviewed at the point where it is first needed. Begin building a connected, first-principles understanding of nuclear engineering with a text designed to carry each idea forward into the next, rather than leaving the reader to assemble the whole picture alone.

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