Nuclear Systems Design Project
MIT's capstone course in nuclear engineering, organized as a group design project that integrates nuclear physics, particle transport, control systems, heat transfer, safety analysis, instrumentation, materials, environmental impact, and economic optimization. Each year the class tackles a different design problem; the featured project asks students to design a power plant that combines emission-free electricity generation with carbon sequestration and fossil fuel displacement. The course serves as an elective in MIT's undergraduate Energy Studies Minor, and graduate students complete additional assignments. Materials on OCW include the project assignments and design framework used to synthesize prior coursework in nuclear and non-nuclear subjects into a working system proposal. It functions as a practical culmination of a nuclear engineering curriculum rather than an introductory survey, aimed at students who have already built up the underlying technical background.