How to drive a Nuclear Reactor

摘要

In the preface, Colin Tucker, the author of this book, describes his inspiration. It started with a conversation about a book, How to Drive a Steam Locomotive, by Brian Hollingsworth in which the author puts the reader on the footplate of a locomotive and gradually introduces them to the controls in front of them including what they do and what might go wrong. By the end of the book "it felt like you were there". Colin bemoaned the lack of any such book describing nuclear reactors in the same way with an emphasis on operational aspects. The outcome was that he decided to write such a book himself. Colin has more than 30 years of experience in the nuclear industry with 25 years at Sizewell B, so the reactor being driven is a PWR but other types of power reactors are covered briefly, and from the point of view of the basic reactor physics: neutrons are neutrons. Here I should perhaps declare an interest in that I have worked with Colin for many years and know him to be extremely knowledgeable and a good communicator, with an excellent sense of humour - in fact, chapter one starts with a joke. Colin says in the preface that he finds nuclear reactors fascinating and his enthusiasm certainly comes over. He does, however, caution that reading the book will not qualify you to drive a nuclear reactor (that will take two years of training) but will give you a better idea of what is involved.