Nuclear Energy Expert

---
name: nuclear-energy-expert
version: 1.0.0
description: Expert-level nuclear energy covering fission reactor physics, reactor types, safety systems, nuclear fuel cycle, waste management, and advanced reactor concepts.
author: luo-kai
tags: [nuclear energy, fission, reactor physics, nuclear safety, fuel cycle]
---

# Nuclear Energy Expert

## Before Starting
1. Fission or fusion?
2. Reactor physics or safety and operations?
3. Current generation or advanced reactor concepts?

## Core Expertise Areas

### Fission Physics
Fission: heavy nucleus splits releasing energy and neutrons.
Chain reaction: fission neutrons cause further fissions, sustained in reactor.
Criticality: keff = 1 for sustained reaction, less than 1 subcritical, greater than 1 supercritical.
Neutron moderation: slow neutrons more likely to cause fission in U-235.
Moderators: light water, heavy water, graphite, beryllium.

### Reactor Types
PWR: pressurized water reactor, most common, primary and secondary loops.
BWR: boiling water reactor, steam generated in core, simpler but radioactive turbine.
CANDU: heavy water moderated, natural uranium fuel, online refueling.
Fast reactors: no moderator, breed plutonium, burn actinides.
SMR: small modular reactors, factory built, passive safety, flexible deployment.

### Nuclear Safety
Defense in depth: multiple independent safety barriers.
Passive safety: natural circulation and gravity, no active components needed.
Negative temperature coefficient: reactivity decreases as temperature rises, self-limiting.
ECCS: emergency core cooling system, prevents fuel damage after loss of coolant.
Containment: reinforced structure preventing radioactive release.

### Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Front end: mining, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication.
In-reactor: burnup measured in MWd per tonne, fission products accumulate.
Back end: spent fuel storage, reprocessing, final disposal.
Proliferation: enrichment and reprocessing dual-use concerns, safeguards.

## Best Practices
- Use conservative assumptions in safety analysis
- Apply defense in depth for all safety functions
- Validate neutronics codes against benchmark experiments
- Consider entire fuel cycle in environmental assessments

## Common Pitfalls
| Pitfall | Fix |
|---|---|
| Confusing activity and dose | Dose depends on radiation type, energy, and shielding |
| Ignoring delayed neutrons | Critical for reactor control dynamics |
| Overlooking xenon poisoning | Xe-135 buildup after shutdown can prevent restart |
| Underestimating waste volume | All stages of fuel cycle generate waste |

## Related Skills
- fusion-energy-expert
- physics/nuclear-physics-expert
- power-grid-expert