CLAUDE.md - NPRE 412 Repository Documentation

Overview

This repository contains course materials for NPRE 412: Nuclear Power Economics and Fuel Management, taught by Prof. Kathryn Huff at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The course was previously taught in Spring 2025 and will be offered again in future semesters.

The repository serves as the primary source of lecture content, delivered through interactive Jupyter notebooks, along with supporting materials including LaTeX-generated syllabi, reading lists, and project specifications.

Course Description: NPRE 412 covers the economics and fuel cycle management of nuclear power systems, including reactor physics fundamentals, fuel cycle costs, levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), and comparative analysis of once-through and closed fuel cycle strategies.

License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Repository Structure

Core Directories

`/introduction/` - Course Introduction

Purpose: First-week materials including syllabus overview and nuclear fuel cycle introduction
Key Files:
- 00-intro-syllabus.ipynb - Course policies, grading, and logistics
- 01-power-overview.ipynb - Overview of nuclear power generation
- 02-nfc-overview.ipynb - Nuclear fuel cycle overview
- Supporting images: once-through.png, recycle.png
- save-the-nukes.pdf - Reference material

`/syllabus/` - Course Syllabus

Purpose: Official course syllabus and policies in LaTeX format
Key Files:
- syllabus.tex - Main syllabus document
- ief.tex - Included content file
- bibliography.bib - BibTeX references
- Makefile - Build automation (see Build Commands section)
- syllabus.pdf - Compiled syllabus (generated)
Course Details:
- Meeting time: TuTh 9:30am-10:50am
- Room: 3018 CIF
- Prerequisites: NPRE 402 or 247
- Instructor email: kdhuff@illinois.edu
- Office hours: By appointment at katyhuff.youcanbook.me

`/readings/` - Weekly Reading Assignments

Purpose: Reading lists organized by week (wk00 through wk14)
Structure: Each week has its own subdirectory containing:
- wkXX.tex - LaTeX document listing required and recommended readings
- wkXX.bib - BibTeX bibliography for that week
- wkXX.pdf - Compiled reading list (generated)
Special subdirectory: /readings/report/ - Guidelines for book report assignment

Topic-Specific Lecture Directories

Each of these directories contains Jupyter notebooks with lecture content, supporting images, and data:

/lcoe/ - Levelized Cost of Electricity
- Core concepts, LCOE calculations, comparative costs
- Contains construction cost analysis and economic modeling
/nuclear-power-economics/ - Nuclear Power Economics
- Economic fundamentals, capital costs, financial analysis
/time-val-of-money/ - Time Value of Money
- Present/future value calculations, compound interest, financial fundamentals
/reactor-physics/ - Reactor Physics
- Includes reactor-physics.ipynb and depletion.ipynb
- Fundamental physics concepts needed for fuel management
/mining-milling/ - Mining and Milling
- Front-end fuel cycle: uranium extraction and processing
/conversion/ - Conversion Processes
- UF6 conversion processes in the fuel cycle
/enrichment/ - Uranium Enrichment
- Enrichment technologies, SWU calculations, global capacity
- Contains world_enrichment_cap.png, neri_hyperfine_2002.png
/fuel-fabrication/ - Fuel Fabrication
- Manufacturing of nuclear fuel assemblies
/in-core/ - In-Core Fuel Management
- Reactor operation, fuel loading patterns, burnup management
/reprocessing/ - Spent Fuel Reprocessing
- Back-end fuel cycle, PUREX process, closed fuel cycles
/high-level-waste/ - High-Level Waste Management
- SNF disposal, geological repositories, waste regulations
/low-level-waste/ - Low-Level Waste Management
- LLW classification, disposal methods
/environmental-effects/ - Environmental Effects
- Environmental impacts of nuclear power, lifecycle analysis
/nonproliferation-and-safeguards/ - Nonproliferation and Safeguards
- Proliferation resistance, IAEA safeguards, security considerations

`/project/` - Course Projects

Purpose: Final project specifications and rubrics
Key Files:
- project.tex - Project description and requirements
- rubric.tex - Grading rubric
- project.pdf - Compiled project specification (generated)

`/hw/` - Homework Assignments

Purpose: Homework assignments (currently contains /hw06/)
Note: Homework assignments may be distributed separately or via Canvas

File Types and Purposes

Jupyter Notebooks (`.ipynb`)

Count: 21 notebooks across the repository
Purpose: Interactive lecture content combining:
- Explanatory text in Markdown cells
- Mathematical equations (LaTeX formatting)
- Python code for calculations and demonstrations
- Visualizations using matplotlib
- Interactive exercises for students

Notebook Structure Pattern:

Import statements (numpy, matplotlib, pandas, scipy)
Learning objectives section
Topic introduction with theory/background
Code demonstrations with equations
Visualizations and plots
Discussion questions
Key lessons summary
Preview of next topic

Common Code Patterns:

%matplotlib notebook
%matplotlib inline
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import pandas as pd

LaTeX Documents (`.tex`)

Syllabi: Professional course documentation with university formatting
Reading Lists: Weekly assignments using the exam document class
Projects: Detailed specifications using article class
Common packages:
- geometry for margins
- hyperref for links
- amsmath, amssymb for equations
- fancyhdr for headers/footers
- splitbib for categorized bibliographies (Required/Recommended)

Bibliography Files (`.bib`)

Purpose: BibTeX references for readings and citations
Format: Standard BibTeX entries for books, articles, reports

Images and Figures

Count: 146 files (PNG, JPG, JPEG, PDF)
Purpose:
- Diagrams of fuel cycle processes
- Data visualizations and charts
- Historical figures and photos
- Technical schematics
- Reference material from external sources

Supporting Files

.gitignore - Excludes LaTeX auxiliary files (.bbl, .aux, .out, .blg, .fls, *_latexmk, .log)
requirements.txt - Python dependencies
LICENSE - CC BY 4.0 license text
README.md - Student-facing getting started guide

Build and Run Commands

Running Jupyter Notebooks

Option 1: Online via Binder (Easiest)

# No installation required
# Visit: http://mybinder.org/repo/katyhuff/npre412

Note: Binder servers may be overloaded at times. Check status at http://mybinder.org/status

Option 2: Local Installation

Prerequisites:

Python 3.x (via Anaconda recommended)
Git (optional but recommended)

Setup:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/katyhuff/npre412.git
cd npre412

# Install Python dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt
# Or using conda:
conda install numpy matplotlib pandas scipy
pip install mpld3

# Launch Jupyter
jupyter notebook

Your browser will open to localhost:8888 where you can navigate to and run notebooks.

Updating Content:

# Pull latest changes (if using git)
git pull origin master

Note: If you've made local edits, you may need to commit or stash them first to avoid merge conflicts.

Building LaTeX Documents

General Pattern (used in /syllabus/):

cd syllabus
make              # Builds PDF via pdflatex
make clean        # Removes auxiliary files
make realclean    # Removes all generated files including PDF

Manual Build Process:

pdflatex -halt-on-error -file-line-error syllabus.tex
bibtex syllabus.aux
pdflatex -halt-on-error -file-line-error syllabus.tex
pdflatex -halt-on-error -file-line-error syllabus.tex

Note: Multiple pdflatex runs are needed for cross-references and bibliography.

Reading Lists: Each weekly reading directory requires the same build process:

cd readings/wk02
pdflatex wk02.tex
bibtex wk02.aux
pdflatex wk02.tex
pdflatex wk02.tex

Python Dependencies

From requirements.txt:

numpy - Numerical computing, array operations
matplotlib - Plotting and visualization
pandas - Data structures and analysis (DataFrames for cost tables)
mpld3 - Interactive matplotlib plots in notebooks
scipy - Scientific computing, optimization

Usage Patterns:

numpy: Mathematical operations, equation implementations
matplotlib: Cost curves, decay plots, comparison charts
pandas: Organizing tabular data (capital costs, O&M expenses, fuel costs)
mpld3: Interactive tooltips and enhanced notebook plots
scipy: Advanced calculations and numerical methods

Code Style and Conventions

Jupyter Notebook Conventions

Cell Organization

First cell: Import statements and matplotlib magic commands
Second cell (Markdown): Title and learning objectives
Body cells: Alternating markdown (theory) and code (demonstration)
Final cells: Summary and next topic preview

Markdown Style

Headers: Title (H1), Learning Objectives (H2), Sections (H2), Subsections (H3)
Discussion prompts: Clearly labeled as "### Discussion: [Question]"
Images: Embedded with markdown syntax, often with external URLs
Equations: LaTeX math in $$...$$ (display) or $...$ (inline)

Python Code Style

Functions: Clearly documented with docstrings

def late_grade(hours_late, grade=100, half_life=1):
    """This function describes how much credit you will get for late work"""
    lam = math.log(2)/half_life
    return grade*math.exp(-lam*hours_late)

Variable naming: Descriptive names, often matching mathematical notation
Comments: Explaining physical/economic significance of calculations
Plotting: Consistent style with labeled axes, titles, and legends

Educational Features

Exercise blocks: Marked with "Exercise" for in-class activities
Interactive plots: Using mpld3 for tooltips and interactivity
Real-world data: Historical construction costs, enrichment capacity, etc.
Pedagogical calculations: Step-by-step derivations with intermediate results

LaTeX Document Conventions

Syllabus Style

Document class: article[11pt, a4paper]
Margins: 1 inch all around
Headers: Course info in header via fancyhdr
Structure: Title, course info table, sections with clear headings
Commands: Custom commands for course details (e.g., \CourseTitle, \CourseInstructor)

Reading Lists Style

Document class: exam[12pts]
Bibliography categories: Required vs. Recommended (via splitbib package)
Custom commands: \class, \term, \assignment, \duedate
Minimalist: Focus on bibliography entries, minimal additional text

Common Patterns

Hyperlinks: Blue links for URLs, red for internal references
Color scheme: Defined custom colors (darkblue, darkred, darkgreen)
Bibliography: Unsorted style (\bibliographystyle{unsrt} or plainurl)

Course Organization and Pedagogy

Assessment Structure

Undergraduate Grading:

Quizzes: 10%
Homework: 40%
Project Proposal: 10%
Long Read (Book Report): 20%
Final Project: 20%

Graduate Grading:

Quizzes: 0% (not required)
Homework: 30%
Project Proposal: 20%
Long Read: 20%
Final Project: 30%

Weekly Workflow

Tuesday:

Reading assignment posted (due following Tuesday at 9:30am)
Homework assigned (due following Tuesday at 9:30am)
Quiz on previous week's reading (due Tuesday at 9:30am)

Thursday:

Continued lecture on topic

Philosophy: Active learning approach - students study background material independently, class time focuses on discussion, demonstration, and application.

Late Work Policy

Highly structured exponential decay policy:

Half-life: 1 hour
Formula: G(t) = G₀e^(-λt) where λ = ln(2)/1 hour
Result: 1 hour late = 50% credit, 6 hours late = 1.56% credit, 24 hours late ≈ 0% credit
No negotiation except with Dean of Students absence letter

Projects

Quantitative Research Project:

Multi-stage: Proposal → Research → Presentation
Final presentations during exam period (7:00-10:00pm on scheduled final exam date)
Graduate students have higher expectations

Long Read Assignment:

In-depth critical analysis of relevant book
Individual presentation and written report

Key Topics Covered

The course follows the nuclear fuel cycle chronologically:

Introduction - Course overview, NFC basics
Economics - LCOE, time value of money, capital costs
Reactor Physics - Fundamentals, depletion, burnup
Front End:
- Mining and milling
- Conversion
- Enrichment
- Fuel fabrication
In-Core - Fuel management, loading patterns
Back End:
- Reprocessing
- High-level waste disposal
- Low-level waste management
Crosscutting:
- Environmental effects
- Nonproliferation and safeguards

Important Notes for Future Course Iterations

For Updating Content

Notebooks:
- Ensure all external image URLs are still valid
- Test all code cells execute without errors
- Update year references in introduction notebook
- Verify mybinder.org compatibility
Syllabus:
- Update \CourseYear and \CourseSemester in syllabus.tex
- Update final exam date in Important Dates section
- Update course room/building if changed
- Rebuild PDF: cd syllabus && make
Reading Lists:
- Review and update bibliography entries for currency
- Add new relevant publications
- Update due dates in \duedate command
- Check that all cited works are available to students
Projects:
- Review project topics for relevance
- Update any date-specific references
- Consider rotating project options

Course Delivery Platforms

Canvas: Quizzes, grade management, announcements
GitHub: Primary content repository, version control
Binder: Browser-based notebook execution (backup option)
Local Jupyter: Recommended for students who want to save work

Student Support Resources

Installation Help:

Anaconda Python distribution: https://www.continuum.io/downloads
Git installation: https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Getting-Started-Installing-Git
Jupyter beginner guide: http://jupyter-notebook-beginner-guide.readthedocs.io/

Communication Channels:

Office hours: katyhuff.youcanbook.me (24-hour advance booking required)
Email: kdhuff@illinois.edu
Collaboration with peers encouraged

Common Tasks for TAs and Course Staff

Updating Dependencies

# Check for outdated packages
pip list --outdated

# Update requirements.txt if needed
pip freeze > requirements.txt

Testing Notebooks

# Quick test - ensure all notebooks can be opened
jupyter nbconvert --execute --to notebook *.ipynb

# Or manually:
jupyter notebook
# Run Kernel → Restart & Run All for each notebook

Building All Reading Lists

cd readings
for dir in wk*/; do
    (cd "$dir" && pdflatex *.tex && bibtex *.aux && pdflatex *.tex && pdflatex *.tex)
done

Cleaning Repository

# Remove all LaTeX auxiliary files
find . -name "*.aux" -o -name "*.log" -o -name "*.bbl" -o -name "*.blg" | xargs rm

# Remove Jupyter checkpoints
find . -name ".ipynb_checkpoints" -type d -exec rm -rf {} +

External Resources and References

Key Textbook

Tsoulfanidis, N., & Lange, R. (2013). Nuclear Energy: Selected Entries from the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology. Springer.

Data Sources in Notebooks

Lovering et al. (2016) - Historical construction costs: http://thebreakthrough.org/
OpenEI Transparent Cost Database: http://en.openei.org/apps/TCDB/
NEI Nuclear Statistics: http://www.nei.org/Knowledge-Center/Nuclear-Statistics/

Regulatory and Policy References

U.S. NRC regulations and guidance
DOE pathways and reports
IAEA safeguards documentation

Repository Maintenance

Version Control Best Practices

Commit compiled PDFs only when significant updates are made
Keep .gitignore current to avoid committing auxiliary files
Tag releases for each semester (e.g., spring-2025, spring-2026)
Use descriptive commit messages referencing specific lecture topics

File Organization

Keep related content together (notebook + images in same directory)
Use descriptive filenames (topic-based, not date-based for lecture content)
Maintain consistent naming: lowercase with hyphens (e.g., high-level-waste/)

Accessibility

All content under CC BY 4.0 - students can freely use and share
Public GitHub repository - transparent and accessible
Multiple access methods (Binder, local) accommodate different student needs

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Binder won't load:

Check mybinder.org status page
Verify repository is public
Try local installation instead

LaTeX won't compile:

Check for missing packages: tlmgr install <package-name>
Verify all .bib files are present
Look for special characters that need escaping

Notebook kernel errors:

Restart kernel: Kernel → Restart
Check Python version (needs 3.x)
Reinstall dependencies: pip install -r requirements.txt

Import errors in notebooks:

Install missing package: pip install <package-name>
Check package is in requirements.txt
Verify correct conda/pip environment is active

Contact and Support

Instructor: Prof. Kathryn Huff

Email: kdhuff@illinois.edu
Office: 111B Talbot Laboratory
Appointments: https://katyhuff.youcanbook.me

Repository: https://github.com/katyhuff/npre412 Course Website: https://canvas.illinois.edu

Last Updated: Based on Spring 2025 course materials Document created for Claude Code assistant to understand repository structure and conventions

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