9TH GRADE NUCLEAR ENGINEERING

Scott Griffin

Bay City Independent School District

High School IPC teacher

E3 Summer 2008 Research topic:

“Flooding” during countercurrent flow

Mentor: Dr. Karen Vierow

TAMU Nuclear Engineering Dept.

THE PRINCIPLES AND CONCEPTS THAT RELATE TO MY

STUDENTSTAKS Objectives 4&5 – Chemistry and

Physics

Fission – Elements - Atomic particles - Phase

Heat transfer - Boiling Point - Work, Power and Energy - Nuclear power

TAKS Objective 1 – Lab Safety and The Scientific Method

Accurate measurements – Data Collection and Recording – Graphing Data

AT BAY CITY:

We start with Chemistry – so, the students will have been exposed to the terms and concepts that pertain to chemistry

I will use this project as a “special week” to tie together the Chemistry & Physics aspects

Also to promote the “Engineering” and Nuclear power opportunities that are opening up for them

Pre-testDiagnostic tool

Some of the questions will be from previously covered material

Some from material to be discussed during the week’s activities

Sample:

At what temperature does water boil

A. 100 F

B. 100 C

C. 200 F

D. 212 C

Some Questions from Released

TAKS tests

In winter the air just above the top bunk of a

bunk bed is warmer than the air just above

the bottom bunk because warm air rises.

Which of the following describes the method of

heating that causes this difference in

temperature?

F. Radiation from the room

G. Heat transfer through the walls

H. Convection currents in the room

J. Heat conduction through the bed

TWO LAB ACTIVITIES

1. Who can get their water the hottest?

Boiling is getting rid of heat – 100 degrees C max.

Pressure – Boiling point elevation – Phase change – Nuclear primary loop

2. Heat Transfer in Electrical Power Generation

“Primary Loop” – “Secondary Loop” Heating – Efficiency – Safety – Environmental impact

MESSIN’ WITH THEIR MINDS

Lab Activity

Who can get their water the hottest?

 

Obviously, VERY CAREFUL SUPERVISION IS REQUIRED ALONG WITH STRONG WARNINGS OF THE DANGERS INVOLVED WHEN DEALING WITH HEAT AND STEAM.

MATERIALS NEEDED: Hotplates, Ring stands, Bunsen burners, beakers or small saucepans, thermometers

 

Announce that there will be a lab activity in the form of a competition today.

Get the students into as many teams as your equipment and lab space will allow.

Allow them to choose either a hotplate or Bunsen burners for a heat source.

With EXTREME CAUTION, let them heat the water until boiling.

OF COURSE everyone will have the same temperature.

Turn off all heat sources and explain what “boiling” is.

NOW heat some water in a pressure cooker equipped with a pressure gauge and a thermometer.

Explain “boiling point elevation” and how pressure affects the phase change.

 

Show how this principle is directly related to the primary loop of a pressurized water reactor at a nuclear power plant. ( 550 degrees F and 2200PSI)

Heat Transfer lab

Heat Transfer Lab

Purpose: To understand how heat is transferred from a “primary” loop to a “secondary”

system without mixing the two water sources.

Goal: To record the rate at which the secondary system absorbs heat from the primary loop.

Materials: Hot plate, 2 Erlenmeyer flasks, 2 Thermometers, 3 feet of copper tubing, a

two-hole rubber stopper, timer.

Setup and procedure:

Fill both flasks about half full.

Place two-hole stopper in one of the flasks and place it on the hot plate.

(Place the other flask on a heat resistant surface next to the hot plate.)

Install the copper tubing through one of the holes in the stopper, (just into the air space, NOT into the water.) The coil end of the copper tubing goes into the other flask, (all the way into the water.

Place one thermometer through the other hole in the stopper, (all the way into the water. The second thermometer goes into the other flask.

Students need to understand how

“NUCLEAR” worksIt’s safe

It’s efficient

It’s clean

TAKS & TEKS

TAKS objectives 1, 4 & 51 - Scientific method – accurate measurements

4 & 5 – Chemistry and Physics

TEKS - (c) Knowledge and skills.

(1) Scientific processes. The

student, for at least 40% of instructional time, conducts field and laboratory investigations using safe, environmentally

appropriate, and ethical practices.

The student is expected to:

(A) demonstrate safe practices during field and laboratory investigations; and

(B) make wise choices in the use and conservation of resources and the disposal or recycling of materials.

(2) Scientific processes. The student uses scientific methods during field and laboratory investigations.

The student is expected to:

(A) plan and implement investigative procedures including asking questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and

selecting equipment and technology;

(B) collect data and make measurements with precision;

(C) organize, analyze, evaluate, make inferences, and predict trends from data; and

(D) communicate valid conclusions.

THANK YOU SOOOO!! MUCH

RESEARCH MENTOR: DR. KAREN VIEROW

And daily interaction with

Niki Williams

&

Dr. Isaac Choutapalli

New programs and support by

Dr K. L. Peddicord

THANK YOU TO:

ALL E3 HOSTS AND HELPERS

THE NSF

TAMU

SOUTH TEXAS NUCLEAR PROJECT

Additional funding

Continuing Education

Interest in local community