Assistant Professor at King Abdulaziz University’s Department of Nuclear Engineering Dr. Abd al-Salam al-Hawsawi on the selection of the eastern region, for the launch of the first nuclear reactors of the Kingdom, according to studies depending on the need for a source of water used to heat nuclear fuel, as well as an adequate geographical and healthy location, emphasizing that it is not necessary to build reactors near the element uranium, which is often found in the mountainous environment, in addition to phosphates.
He said that the Kingdom enjoys the uranium element to a large extent that it reaches sufficiency and produces nuclear fuel to run reactors for a long time, and with the advancement of science, the human element and the strong government will that the Kingdom owns, will become the leader in the field of energy of all kinds.
explained Dr. Al-Hawsawi told “Al-Youm” during his visit to the Nuclear Engineering Department of King Abdulaziz University, that the most important studies presented by the department are to measure the impact of adding nuclear reactors in the Kingdom and compare them with conventional energy emissions, and medical studies to treat cancerous types, and there is a study with a Korean university to maximize the effect of small nuclear reactors and increase the safety of those reactors, as well as a study to increase the efficiency of electricity using nuclear energy, and studies to increase safety during reactor operation and many studies that are used in reality by local and international partnerships.
He added that “Nuclear Engineering” is one of the oldest departments in the university and was established in 1977, and it supports 3 majors represented in the Nuclear Reactor Engineering specialization, which deals with the design of nuclear reactors from two sides, the the first is nuclear fuel science and the second is the science of extracting energy from outlets, while the other specialization supports radiation protection engineering, and the third specialization is medical physics engineering, which deals with of medical radioactive materials, noting that the department is the only one in the Kingdom offering a degree in this field and that the university will soon open a doctoral field.
And between d. Al-Hawsawi said that the fields of work for the graduates of the department are broad and correspond to the energy orientations of the Kingdom. The graduate finds many career opportunities ahead of him, which are represented in the academic field and complete the training path in the Master’s For As for job opportunities, the Ministry of Energy has long opened the Department of Nuclear Engineering and the King Abdullah City of Atomic and Renewable Energy, which includes many departments, the most important of which is the Supervisory Authority Riyadh Nuclear and a company dealing with radioactive waste management, as well as two companies interested in operating nuclear reactors, as well as the Ministry of the Interior needs graduates in radioisotope applications and nuclear engineering in the field of security, and in customs, geological surveys, hospitals and companies with progress in Peaceful uses of radioactive isotopes in sterilization, measurement and toxin detection and aircraft structure detection. Thus, the graduate of the department has many parties competing against them in light of the peaceful advancement of nuclear energy, explaining that the engineering department has many partnerships for internal and external government and private agencies, including a partnership with the Agency International Atomic Energy Association, which is regarded as the top authority on peaceful uses of energy worldwide, as well as a partnership with international universities in China, America and many countries, pointing out that the employment rate for graduates of the department reaches 100%, indicating that the human framework is one of the most important foundations of peaceful nuclear energy projects, indicating that graduates of the department are highly skilled skills through training and practical application as well as knowledge.
For his part, one of the department’s graduates and first place winner for graduate research at Abu Dhabi University, Eng. Rayan Foura, that the university’s laboratories have provided many capabilities to conduct qualitative experiments for students, in addition to the distinguished teaching staff. Indicating that the radiation detector design is reverse engineering work for a Geiger-Muller radiation detector and modifications to it, he said that the design’s support from King Abdulaziz University’s Department of Nuclear Engineering made it into able to compete at local and international competitions.
A student of the Nuclear Engineering Department of King Abdulaziz University, Eng. Tariq Hussain, that his graduation project is a radiation detector that uses flash crystals that interact with ionizing radiation, in a quantum “mechanical” interaction, generating photons of “light” in the visible spectrum, indicating that the project produces signals through a digital processor and is analyzed by a computer, produces a spectrum of radioactive waves that can be analyzed and used to detect the type of radioactive substance.
One of the graduates of the department, Rayan Al-Ahdal, said that the department is filled with many laboratories, the most important of which is the radioactive reagent laboratory, where most of the experiments used are performed, which are low levels of radiation commensurate with students’ experiments, pointing out that there is a simulation laboratory for some experiments for elements with high radiation levels that are tested on the ground through simulation and specialized programs that give accurate predictions by hand calculations, and there are electronic laboratories to conduct experiments that require electrical parts and installation of radiation detectors.
