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Master'sNuclear Engineering & Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies Applications open

Master’s in Reactor Fuel Design and Performance Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in fuel design and in-reactor performance engineering. 12 modules covering fuel assembly mechanical design, design criteria, thermomechanical modelling, fuel performance codes, accident behaviour, advanced fuels and licensing, with NUREG-0800 Section 4.2, 10 CFR 50.46 and FRAPCON/FRAPTRAN, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Carry out the mechanical design of the fuel assembly and its components.

02

Apply fuel design criteria.

03

Model the thermomechanical behaviour of the fuel rod.

04

Use fuel performance codes.

05

Assess fuel behaviour in transients and accidents.

06

Analyse accident-tolerant fuels.

07

Prepare fuel licensing documentation.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Fuel design engineers.
  • Fuel performance engineers.
  • Specialists in fuel performance codes.
  • Manufacturing quality engineers in the fuel industry.
  • Fuel licensing engineers.
  • Researchers working on advanced fuels.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to join a nuclear fuel manufacturer.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • NUREG-0800 Section 4.2 (fuel system design review)
  • 10 CFR 50.46 (ECCS acceptance criteria for LOCA)
  • IAEA SSG-52 (design of the reactor core for nuclear power plants)
  • ASME NQA-1 (quality assurance for nuclear facilities)
  • ASTM B811 (zirconium alloy cladding tubes)
  • ASTM C776 (sintered UO2 pellets)
  • Regulatory Guide 1.236 (fuel acceptance criteria for reactivity-initiated accidents)
  • FRAPCON/FRAPTRAN
  • TRANSURANUS
  • BISON
  • CASMO
  • Abaqus
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.1Fuel assembly components
  2. 1.2Rod and plenum design
  3. 1.3Spacer grids and springs
  4. 1.4Top and bottom nozzles
  5. 1.5Guide tubes and control rods
  6. 1.6VVER hexagonal assemblies
  7. 1.7BWR assemblies and channels
  8. 1.8Mechanical and seismic loads
  9. 1.9Flow-induced vibration wear
  10. 1.10Workshop: stress calculation for a guide tube
  1. 2.1Damage, failure and coolability criteria
  2. 2.2SRP 4.2 and its application
  3. 2.3Cladding stress and strain limits
  4. 2.4Oxidation and hydrogen limits
  5. 2.5Rod internal pressure
  6. 2.6Fuel melting
  7. 2.7Cladding fatigue
  8. 2.8PCI margin
  9. 2.9Accident criteria
  10. 2.10Case study: verification of criteria for a new design
  1. 3.1Heat equation in the fuel rod
  2. 3.2Conductivity models
  3. 3.3Thermal strains and creep
  4. 3.4Densification and swelling
  5. 3.5Fission gas release
  6. 3.6Gap closure
  7. 3.7Cladding corrosion models
  8. 3.8Finite element methods
  9. 3.91.5D versus 3D codes
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: thermal model of a fuel rod with FRAPCON
  1. 4.1FRAPCON and FRAPTRAN
  2. 4.2The JRC's TRANSURANUS code
  3. 4.3BISON and MOOSE
  4. 4.4FALCON and FEMAXI
  5. 4.5Model calibration
  6. 4.6IAEA FUMEX benchmarks
  7. 4.7Statistical uncertainty analysis
  8. 4.8Verification and validation
  9. 4.9Code licensing
  10. 4.10Laboratory: simulation of an irradiation with TRANSURANUS
  1. 5.1Radial enrichment zoning
  2. 5.2Design with burnable poisons
  3. 5.3Intra-assembly power distribution
  4. 5.4Peaking factors
  5. 5.5Low-burnup and high-burnup fuel design
  6. 5.6Design for 24-month cycles
  7. 5.7Specific features of MOX assemblies
  8. 5.8Calculations with CASMO and APOLLO
  9. 5.9Coupling between neutronics and thermomechanics
  10. 5.10Case study: enrichment optimisation with gadolinium
  1. 6.1Burnup and evolution of properties
  2. 6.2Power ramps and PCI
  3. 6.3Assembly deformation
  4. 6.4Assembly bow
  5. 6.5CRUD deposits
  6. 6.6Axial power anomalies
  7. 6.7Debris-induced failures
  8. 6.8Failure detection during operation
  9. 6.9Operating experience with advanced fuel
  10. 6.10Practical exercise: analysis of a power ramp
  1. 7.1Reactivity-initiated accidents
  2. 7.2LOCA and reflood
  3. 7.3Ballooning and burst
  4. 7.4Fragmentation criteria
  5. 7.5Oxidation under accident conditions
  6. 7.6BWR-specific transients
  7. 7.7Severe accidents and degradation
  8. 7.8Experimental tests: Halden, CABRI and QUENCH
  9. 7.9FRAPTRAN models
  10. 7.10Workshop: cladding burst during a LOCA
  1. 8.1Accident-tolerant fuels
  2. 8.2Chromium-doped pellets
  3. 8.3Chromium-coated cladding
  4. 8.4FeCrAl alloy cladding
  5. 8.5Silicon carbide cladding
  6. 8.6Uranium silicide fuel
  7. 8.7TRISO fuel particles
  8. 8.8Metallic fuel for fast reactors
  9. 8.9Molten salt fuels
  10. 8.10Case study: assessment of an ATF fuel
  1. 9.1Visual inspection in the pool
  2. 9.2Length and deformation measurements
  3. 9.3Sipping and failure detection
  4. 9.4Eddy currents for oxide measurement
  5. 9.5Hot cell examination
  6. 9.6Metallography of irradiated sections
  7. 9.7Fission gas analysis
  8. 9.8Data for model validation
  9. 9.9Surveillance programmes
  10. 9.10Practical exercise: analysis of sipping results
  1. 10.1Pellet specifications
  2. 10.2Cladding specifications
  3. 10.3Manufacturing process
  4. 10.4Dimensional control of pellets and rods
  5. 10.5Enrichment control
  6. 10.6End plug welding
  7. 10.7Quality according to NQA-1
  8. 10.8Supplier audits
  9. 10.9Handling of non-conformances
  10. 10.10Case study: management of a manufacturing non-conformance
  1. 11.1Fuel design report
  2. 11.2Regulatory review of the fuel
  3. 11.3Approval of new calculation methodologies
  4. 11.4ATF licensing
  5. 11.5High-burnup licences
  6. 11.6Licensing of enrichments above 5%
  7. 11.7Interaction with the regulator
  8. 11.8Technical design documentation
  9. 11.9International licensing experience
  10. 11.10Workshop: structure of a licensing report
  1. 12.1Definition of the design or phenomenon under study
  2. 12.2Input data and properties
  3. 12.3Construction of the thermomechanical model
  4. 12.4Simulation of normal operation
  5. 12.5Transient simulation
  6. 12.6Verification against criteria
  7. 12.7Design improvement proposals
  8. 12.8Conclusions and proposed improvements
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, making it compatible with full-time work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is FRAPCON/FRAPTRAN, TRANSURANUS, BISON, CASMO and Abaqus, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied using real procedures for simulating fuel rod behaviour in operation, analysing fuel transients and assessing accident-tolerant fuels. Assessment is continuous for each module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: NUREG-0800 Section 4.2 Fuel System Design, 10 CFR 50.46, IAEA SSG-52 Design of the Reactor Core for Nuclear Power Plants, ASME NQA-1, ASTM B811, ASTM C776 and Regulatory Guide 1.236.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of NUREG-0800 Section 4.2, 10 CFR 50.46 and IAEA SSG-52 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:FRAPCON/FRAPTRAN, TRANSURANUS, BISON, CASMO and Abaqus, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:a thermomechanical study of a fuel design or phenomenon, simulated in normal operation and transients and verified against design criteria, defended before a panel.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Fuel rod thermal model
You build a thermal model of a fuel rod with FRAPCON and verify it against design criteria.
Irradiation simulation
You simulate a fuel irradiation history with TRANSURANUS and analyse a power ramp.
LOCA burst analysis
You analyse cladding ballooning and burst during a LOCA.
ATF fuel assessment
You assess the performance and licensing case of an accident-tolerant fuel concept.
Master's Thesis
A thermomechanical study of a fuel design or phenomenon with normal operation and transient simulation, verification against criteria and design improvements, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Fuel design engineerFuel performance engineerFuel codes specialistManufacturing quality engineerFuel licensing engineerAdvanced fuels researcher
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
  • English sufficient to read technical standards.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with FRAPCON/FRAPTRAN, TRANSURANUS, BISON, CASMO and Abaqus, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.

A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.

Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.

Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.

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