Course on Mechanical Properties of UO₂ and MOX
Online 300-hour course on the mechanical properties of UO₂ and MOX. 6 modules covering ASTM C776 (UO₂ sintered pellets), ASTM C833 ((U,Pu)O₂ sintered pellets) and FRAPCON/FRAPTRAN. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this programme. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Describe the crystal structure and microstructure of UO₂ and MOX.
Analyse the thermal properties and their effect on the pellet temperature profile.
Characterise the mechanical properties: elasticity, creep and fracture.
Explain the phenomena of densification, swelling and fission gas release.
Use fuel behaviour codes to simulate rods under irradiation.
Relate test results to fuel licensing criteria.
Prepare a technical report on the mechanical behaviour of a ceramic fuel.
Who it's for
- Nuclear fuel engineer who wants to specialise in mechanical properties of UO₂ and MOX.
- Ceramic materials engineer who wants to specialise in mechanical properties of UO₂ and MOX.
- Fuel behaviour analyst who wants to specialise in mechanical properties of UO₂ and MOX.
- Hot laboratory technician who wants to specialise in mechanical properties of UO₂ and MOX.
- Fuel licensing engineer who wants to specialise in mechanical properties of UO₂ and MOX.
- MOX fuel researcher who wants to specialise in mechanical properties of UO₂ and MOX.
- Graduates in engineering or science who seek to enter nuclear fuel manufacturing.
What you'll work with
- ASTM C776 (UO₂ sintered pellets)
- ASTM C833 ((U,Pu)O₂ sintered pellets)
- ASTM C1421 (fracture toughness of advanced ceramics)
- ASTM C1259 (elastic modulus by impulse excitation)
- IAEA SSG-52 (reactor core design)
- 10 CFR 50.46 (emergency cooling acceptance criteria)
- NUREG-0800, section 4.2 (fuel system design)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Uranium dioxide as the reference fuel1.2Fluorite-type crystal structure and defects1.3Stoichiometry and its deviation1.4Grain size and porosity1.5Mixed oxide fuel and its heterogeneity1.6Plutonium distribution in agglomerates1.7Doped and large-grain fuels1.8Microstructural characterisation techniques1.9Relationship between microstructure and behaviour1.10Exercise: interpreting pellet micrographs
2.1Thermal conductivity and its temperature dependence2.2Degradation of conductivity with burn-up2.3Heat capacity and enthalpy2.4Thermal expansion of the oxide2.5Melting temperature and its evolution2.6Radial temperature profile in the pellet2.7Conductivity integral and linear power2.8Effect of the pellet and cladding gap2.9Conductivity models used in design2.10Practice: calculating the thermal profile of a pellet
3.1Elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio3.2Brittleness of the oxide and flexural strength3.3Brittle and ductile transition with temperature3.4Thermal creep and irradiation-induced creep3.5Densification at the start of irradiation3.6Cracking of the pellet due to thermal gradient3.7Fragmentation and relocation of fragments3.8Mechanical interaction between pellet and cladding3.9High-temperature plasticity3.10Practice: estimating stress in a cracked pellet
4.1Generation of solid and gaseous fission products4.2Swelling due to fission products4.3Fission gas release and mechanisms4.4Internal rod pressure and its evolution4.5Formation of the pellet rim structure4.6Restructuring at high burn-up4.7Irradiation damage in the crystal lattice4.8Migration of actinides and fission products4.9Differences between uranium oxide and mixed oxide4.10Practice: estimating fission gas release
5.1Experimental reactor tests and power ramps5.2Post-irradiation examination and hot cells5.3Property measurement in active material5.4Property databases and correlations5.5Fuel rod behaviour codes5.6Model verification and validation5.7Design criteria and licence limits5.8Behaviour during transients and accidents5.9Regulatory requirements for the fuel5.10Practice: comparing prediction with experimental data
6.1Choice of fuel type and its application6.2Specification of the microstructure6.3Compilation of thermal and mechanical properties6.4Calculation of behaviour in normal operation6.5Analysis of gas release and pressure6.6Evaluation of pellet and cladding interaction6.7Proposed test programme6.8Verification against design criteria6.9Technical report6.10Project defence
How you'll learn
100 % online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetable: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine study with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is FRAPCON/FRAPTRAN, TRANSURANUS, BISON (MOOSE), ANSYS Mechanical, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Case studies draw on real procedures for microstructural analysis by electron microscopy, hardness and indentation tests, and simulation of rod behaviour under irradiation. Assessment is continuous across each module, plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Describe the crystal structure and microstructure of UO₂ and MOX.
Analyse the thermal properties and their effect on the pellet temperature profile.
Characterise the mechanical properties: elasticity, creep and fracture.
Explain the phenomena of densification, swelling and fission gas release.
Use fuel behaviour codes to simulate rods under irradiation.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- A sufficient level of Spanish to follow technical regulatory reading.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours spread over 3 to 5 months. That is between 10 and 15 hours per week on average, compatible with a full-time job.
Work is carried out with FRAPCON/FRAPTRAN, TRANSURANUS, BISON (MOOSE), ANSYS Mechanical. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the open-source alternative where one exists.
SEIUM's own diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. It is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are credited towards the advanced programme. Check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.
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