Nuclear Reactor Engineering; Volume One: Reactor Design Basics, Volume Two: Reactor Systems Engineering

New York: Chapman and Hall, 1994. Fourth Edition [stated] Presumed first printing. Hardcover. Very good. Two volume set. No dust jackets present. Volume One, xi, 486, [10] pages. Volume Two, xvi, 487-852, [18] pages. Footnotes. Formulae. Problems. Figures. Tables. Tabular Data. Index. Samuel Glasstone (3 May 1897 - 16 November 1986) was a British-born American academic and writer of scientific books. He authored over 40 popular textbooks on physical chemistry and electrochemistry, reaction rates, nuclear weapons effects, nuclear reactor engineering, Mars, space sciences, the environmental effects of nuclear energy and nuclear testing. After numerous studies of physical chemistry, for example the discovery of the C-H···O interaction, Glasstone worked with Henry Eyring and Keith Laidler on the theory of absolute reaction rates. His book The Effects of Nuclear Weapons, co-authored with Philip J. Dolan, has appeared in three editions: 1957, 1962, and 1977 (originally titled The Effects of Atomic Weapons), and documented the effects of nuclear explosions. Professor Alexander Sesonske (1921-2013) Alexander Sesonske arrived at Purdue University from Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in September 1954 as an associate professor of Chemical Engineering. From 1954 to 1957 he brought nuclear engineering from an introductory course for chemical engineers to an interdisciplinary graduate program open to students from various engineering disciplines. In 1955, the first edition of Nuclear Reactor Engineering by Samuel Glasstone and Alexander Sesonke was published. Subsequent editions have long been the principle textbooks in reactor engineering. The availability of new, powerful digital computers in recent years has resulted not only in increased sophistication in nuclear reactor engineering but also in the development of other disciplines involving systems and optimal control theory. These subjects have potential applications in reactor engineering. In nuclear power plant design and operation, decisions must be made in applying engineering principles to the problems to be solved. Since plants are complex, aids to the decision-making process are essential. One aid is to recognize certain portions of the plant having a common function as a system. Statement by the co-author Alexander Sesonske: "Dr. Samuel Glasstone, the senior author of the previous editions of this book, was anxious to live until his ninetieth birthday, but passed away in 1986, a few months short of this milestone. I am grateful for the many years of stimulation received during our association, and in preparing this edition have attempted to maintain his approach." Previous editions of this book were intended to serve as a text for students and a reference for practicing engineers. Emphasis was given to the broad perspective, particularly for topics important to reactor design and operation, with basic coverage provided in such supporting areas as neutronics, thermal-hydraulics, and materials. This, the Fourth Edition, was prepared with these same general objectives in mind. However, during the past three decades, the nuclear industry and university educational programs have matured considerably, presenting some challenges in meeting the objectives of this book. Nuclear power reactors have become much more complex, with an accompanying growth in supporting technology. University programs now offer separate courses covering such basic topics as reactor physics, thermal­hydraulics, and materials. Finally, the general availability of inexpensive powerful micro- and minicomputers has transformed design and analysis procedures so that sophisticated methods are now commonly used instead of earlier, more approximate approaches.