Apply now
Master'sNuclear Engineering & Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies Applications open

Master’s in Shielding, Blanket and Heat Handling Technologies in Fusion Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in shielding, blanket and heat management technologies for fusion, structured in 12 modules covering the fusion nuclear environment, fusion neutronics, shielding design, breeding blankets, liquid metals and MHD, high heat-flux transfer, divertor and first wall, structural materials and thermomechanical analysis, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
Enrol now View syllabus Ask an advisor
Virtual lab · try it before you enrol

Take the controls.

Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.

SIM · LIVE ●
Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Characterise the fusion neutron environment.

02

Perform neutronic calculations of breeding, nuclear heating and activation.

03

Design shielding for magnets and buildings.

04

Compare breeding blanket concepts.

05

Design high heat-flux heat extraction systems.

06

Select low-activation structural materials.

07

Analyse the safety and waste of in-vessel components.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Breeding blanket engineers.
  • Fusion neutronics engineers.
  • Thermomechanical engineers.
  • Fusion materials engineers.
  • Plasma-facing component engineers.
  • Safety analysts.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the fusion energy sector.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • RCC-MRx (design and construction rules for mechanical components of nuclear installations)
  • ASME BPVC Section III Division 4 (rules for fusion energy devices)
  • FENDL-3.2 (fusion evaluated nuclear data library)
  • IAEA SSG-91 (safety of fusion facilities)
  • ITER Structural Design Criteria for In-vessel Components (SDC-IC)
  • EN 13445 (unfired pressure vessels)
  • Directive 2013/59/Euratom (basic safety standards for radiation protection)
  • OpenMC
  • DAGMC
  • FISPACT-II
  • ANSYS Mechanical
  • COMSOL Multiphysics
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.114.1 MeV neutrons and their spectrum
  2. 1.2Nuclear loads on components
  3. 1.3Nuclear heating and volumetric distribution
  4. 1.4Displacement damage (DPA)
  5. 1.5Helium and hydrogen production by transmutation
  6. 1.6Activation and residual dose
  7. 1.7Magnet shielding requirements
  8. 1.8Interface with plasma physics
  9. 1.9Materials roadmap
  10. 1.10Case study: nuclear load map of a tokamak sector
  1. 2.1Neutron transport in complex geometries
  2. 2.2MCNP and OpenMC codes for fusion
  3. 2.3CAD to Monte Carlo conversion with DAGMC
  4. 2.4FENDL libraries
  5. 2.5TBR calculation
  6. 2.6Nuclear heating and magnet response
  7. 2.7Activation inventory with FISPACT-II
  8. 2.8R2S shutdown dose
  9. 2.9Experimental benchmarks
  10. 2.10Lab: DAGMC model of a simplified sector
  1. 3.1Vacuum vessel shielding
  2. 3.2Shielding of superconducting magnets
  3. 3.3Materials: steel, water and tungsten carbide
  4. 3.4Metal hydrides
  5. 3.5Streaming through penetrations
  6. 3.6Biological shielding of the building
  7. 3.7Thickness optimisation
  8. 3.8Trade-offs between shielding and breeding
  9. 3.9Shielding in compact tokamaks
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: optimisation of a multilayer shield
  1. 4.1Functional requirements of the blanket
  2. 4.2HCPB concept: ceramic pebble beds and beryllium
  3. 4.3WCLL concept: lead-lithium and water
  4. 4.4DCLL and FLiBe concepts
  5. 4.5Molten salt blankets
  6. 4.6Neutron multipliers
  7. 4.7Li-6 enrichment
  8. 4.8The ITER TBM programme
  9. 4.9Comparison of concepts
  10. 4.10Case study: selection of a blanket concept for DEMO
  1. 5.1Properties of lead-lithium
  2. 5.2Liquid metal flow in magnetic fields
  3. 5.3MHD pressure drop
  4. 5.4Insulating coatings
  5. 5.5Corrosion of steels in Pb-Li
  6. 5.6Heat transfer under MHD
  7. 5.7MHD simulation of channels
  8. 5.8Experimental facilities
  9. 5.9Purification and chemistry
  10. 5.10Lab: MHD pressure drop estimation
  1. 6.1Heat fluxes on the first wall and divertor
  2. 6.2Subcooled water cooling
  3. 6.3Boiling and critical heat flux
  4. 6.4Helium cooling
  5. 6.5Extended surfaces and turbulence promoters
  6. 6.6Hypervapotron and monoblock tubes
  7. 6.7Alternative coolants
  8. 6.8Heat transfer correlations
  9. 6.9Testing in high heat-flux facilities
  10. 6.10Practical exercise: thermal design of a hypervapotron
  1. 7.1Divertor architecture
  2. 7.2Tungsten-on-copper components
  3. 7.3Joints and their manufacture
  4. 7.4Thermal fatigue
  5. 7.5Erosion and service life
  6. 7.6Transient loads: ELMs and disruptions
  7. 7.7Helium-cooled first wall
  8. 7.8Liquid metal materials
  9. 7.9Maintenance and replacement
  10. 7.10Case study: service life of a divertor component
  1. 8.1EUROFER97 reduced-activation steels
  2. 8.2ODS steels
  3. 8.3Vanadium alloys
  4. 8.4SiC/SiC composites
  5. 8.5Tungsten and its alloys
  6. 8.6Irradiation effects: hardening and embrittlement
  7. 8.7Swelling
  8. 8.8The IFMIF-DONES neutron source
  9. 8.9Property databases
  10. 8.10Lab: analysis of EUROFER irradiation data
  1. 9.1Coupled thermal analysis
  2. 9.2Thermal stresses
  3. 9.3RCC-MRx design criteria
  4. 9.4Creep and fatigue
  5. 9.5Buckling analysis
  6. 9.6Electromagnetic forces during disruptions
  7. 9.7Finite element simulation
  8. 9.8Design optimisation
  9. 9.9Experimental validation
  10. 9.10Practical exercise: thermomechanical analysis in ANSYS
  1. 10.1Primary cooling circuits
  2. 10.2Heat exchangers
  3. 10.3Tritium extraction from the coolant
  4. 10.4Permeation through walls
  5. 10.5Anti-permeation barriers
  6. 10.6Extraction systems in Pb-Li
  7. 10.7Integration with the fuel cycle
  8. 10.8Coolant safety
  9. 10.9Tritium confinement
  10. 10.10Workshop: tritium balance of a blanket
  1. 11.1Analysis of loss-of-coolant accidents
  2. 11.2Chemical reactions of liquid metals
  3. 11.3Classification of activated waste
  4. 11.4Material recycling
  5. 11.5Component manufacturing
  6. 11.6Quality and non-destructive testing
  7. 11.7Remote maintenance
  8. 11.8Design codes
  9. 11.9Licensing
  10. 11.10Case study: waste classification for a blanket
  1. 12.1Definition of the component
  2. 12.2Requirements and loads
  3. 12.3Neutronic analysis
  4. 12.4Thermal design
  5. 12.5Thermomechanical analysis
  6. 12.6Materials assessment
  7. 12.7Safety and waste analysis
  8. 12.8Conclusions
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis: written 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, so the programme can be combined with work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is OpenMC, DAGMC, FISPACT-II, ANSYS Mechanical and COMSOL Multiphysics, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures for neutronic breeding and shielding calculations, thermal design of high heat-flux components and thermomechanical analysis to RCC-MRx criteria. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: RCC-MRx, ASME BPVC Section III Division 4, FENDL-3.2, IAEA SSG-91, ITER Structural Design Criteria for In-vessel Components, EN 13445, Directive 2013/59/Euratom.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of RCC-MRx, ASME BPVC Section III Division 4 and FENDL-3.2 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:OpenMC, DAGMC, FISPACT-II, ANSYS Mechanical and COMSOL Multiphysics, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:The design of an in-vessel fusion component, from neutronic analysis and thermal design to thermomechanical assessment, materials selection and safety and waste analysis, 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.

Define the component
Select the blanket, shield or divertor component and establish its requirements and loads.
Run the neutronic analysis
Calculate breeding, nuclear heating and activation with OpenMC, DAGMC and FISPACT-II.
Develop the thermal design
Size the cooling system for the high heat fluxes on the component.
Assess thermomechanics and materials
Check stresses to RCC-MRx criteria in ANSYS and evaluate the structural materials.
Master's Thesis
Analyse safety and waste, draw conclusions and present the complete design, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Breeding blanket engineerFusion neutronics engineerThermomechanical engineerFusion materials engineerPlasma-facing component engineerSafety analyst
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • 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.

Apply now Scholarships
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 OpenMC, DAGMC, FISPACT-II, ANSYS Mechanical and COMSOL Multiphysics, 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.

Keep exploring

Related programmes

See all in Nuclear Engineering & Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies
Master's11,090 $

Master’s in Environmental Monitoring and Operational Radiation Protection Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in environmental monitoring and operational radiation protection engineering. 12 modules covering environmental radioactivity, monitoring programmes, instrumentation, radiochemistry, effluent dispersion, worker…

1900 hOnlineNuclear Engineering & Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies
Master's11,090 $

Master’s in SMR & Micro-Reactors Engineering: Design, Licensing and Deployment

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in SMR and microreactor engineering (design, licensing and deployment), structured in 12 modules covering SMR design engineering, core design, thermal-hydraulic,…

1900 hOnlineNuclear Engineering & Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies
Master's11,090 $

Master’s in Data, Modelling & Simulation Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in data, modelling and simulation engineering for the nuclear sector. 12 modules covering simulation in nuclear engineering, nuclear data, scientific…

1900 hOnlineNuclear Engineering & Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies
Master’s in Shielding, Blanket and Heat Handling Technologies in Fusion EngineeringEnrol
Related programmes

More in Nuclear Engineering & Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies

Master’s in Environmental Monitoring and Operational Radiation Protection EngineeringView programme →Master’s in Power Conversion and Balance of Plant for Fusion EngineeringView programme →Master’s in Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering (Front-/Back-End)View programme →Master’s in Fission Reactor, Safety & Operation EngineeringView programme →Master’s in Civil Maritime Nuclear and Energy Ports Engineering (Civil and Regulatory Focus)View programme →Master’s in Radiation Protection (IAEA/ICRP) and Dosimetry EngineeringView programme →

All Nuclear Engineering & Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies programmes → · How to apply · Fees & financing · Scholarships

Scroll to Top
SEIUM – Institute of Advanced Engineering
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.