The Departments of
Physics and Physical Oceanography &
Mathematics and Statistics
Special presentation for students
“Nuclear Reactor Technology”
by
Tyler Schweitzer
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy
The presentation will be an introduction to nuclear power starting with the basics of fission
to the complexities of a nuclear power plant. The discussion will continue with the various
product lines that GE Hitachi (GEH) offers. GEH is focused on Boiling Water Reactor (BWR)
technology while our competitors are focused primarily on Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)
technology. Both types of technology have their advantages and disadvantages and both
types operate all throughout the world today. After a discussion on reactors, I will discuss
the field of work that I am in, which is BWR instability. BWR instability is a thermal hydraulic
and neutronically coupled transient event that can occur in BWRs. During an instability event
the core power will oscillate either in phase (corewide) or out of phase (regional). GEH has
developed several Detect and Suppress solutions for this transient to ensure that BWR
instability events can be reliably and readily detected and suppressed.
3:30 P.M
March 24, 2011
DL 212