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Postgraduate DiplomaDefense, Military Engineering & Land Systems Applications open

Diploma in Experimental Fuel Testing

Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in experimental fuel testing. 8 modules covering test reactor programmes, fabrication and characterisation, in-reactor instrumentation, RIA and LOCA testing, out-of-pile tests and accident-tolerant fuels under NUREG-0800 Section 4.2, 10 CFR 50.46 and Regulatory Guide 1.236, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration6–8 months
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Understand fuel test programmes and test reactors.

02

Characterise pellets and rods before irradiation.

03

Select suitable instrumentation for in-reactor tests.

04

Interpret reactivity insertion tests.

05

Analyse loss-of-coolant and quench tests.

06

Plan complementary out-of-pile tests.

07

Design qualification strategies for advanced fuels.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Nuclear experimental engineers.
  • Fuel researchers.
  • Nuclear instrumentation technicians.
  • Fuel qualification engineers.
  • Experimental data analysts.
  • Reactor safety specialists.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to work in nuclear research centres.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • NUREG-0800 Section 4.2 (NRC standard review plan for fuel system design)
  • 10 CFR 50.46 (acceptance criteria for emergency core cooling systems)
  • Regulatory Guide 1.236 (PWR control rod ejection and BWR control rod drop accidents)
  • ASTM C776 (sintered UO2 pellets for light water reactors)
  • ASTM B811 (wrought zirconium alloy seamless tubes for fuel cladding)
  • ISO/IEC 17025:2017 (competence of testing and calibration laboratories)
  • FRAPCON
  • FRAPTRAN
  • TRANSURANUS
  • MATLAB
  • ImageJ
Syllabus

8 modules

  1. 1.1Objectives of experimentation
  2. 1.2Halden, ATR and BR2 test reactors
  3. 1.3Jules Horowitz Reactor
  4. 1.4Integral and separate-effects tests
  5. 1.5Qualification of new fuel
  6. 1.6Design of experiments
  7. 1.7Safety of experiments
  8. 1.8OECD/NEA joint projects
  9. 1.9IFPE database
  10. 1.10Practical exercise: analysis of a Halden experiment
  1. 2.1Sintering of UO2 pellets
  2. 2.2Density and porosity
  3. 2.3Microstructure and grain size
  4. 2.4Oxygen-to-metal ratio
  5. 2.5Surface roughness
  6. 2.6Dimensional control
  7. 2.7Fabrication defects
  8. 2.8End plug welding
  9. 2.9Fuel rod inspection
  10. 2.10Laboratory: density by the Archimedes method
  1. 3.1High-temperature thermocouples
  2. 3.2LVDT transducers for pressure and elongation
  3. 3.3Neutron flux measurement
  4. 3.4Self-powered detectors
  5. 3.5Fibre-optic sensors
  6. 3.6Ultrasonic transducers
  7. 3.7Sensor calibration
  8. 3.8Irradiation-induced degradation
  9. 3.9Data acquisition
  10. 3.10Workshop: selection of instrumentation for a capsule
  1. 4.1Phenomenology of the RIA accident
  2. 4.2NSRR reactor
  3. 4.3CABRI reactor and its international programme
  4. 4.4TREAT facility
  5. 4.5Failure thresholds
  6. 4.6Deposited energy
  7. 4.7Pellet-cladding mechanical interaction
  8. 4.8Interpretation of results
  9. 4.9Development of regulatory criteria
  10. 4.10Case study: data from a CABRI test
  1. 5.1LOCA phenomenology
  2. 5.2Cladding ballooning and burst
  3. 5.3High-temperature oxidation
  4. 5.4Fragmentation, relocation and dispersal
  5. 5.5LOCA tests at Halden
  6. 5.6Argonne out-of-pile tests
  7. 5.7Quench tests
  8. 5.8Residual ductility
  9. 5.9Acceptance criteria
  10. 5.10Case study: interpretation of a quench test
  1. 6.1Corrosion autoclaves
  2. 6.2Cladding creep tests
  3. 6.3Burst tests
  4. 6.4Grid tests
  5. 6.5Thermal-hydraulic loops
  6. 6.6Critical heat flux measurement
  7. 6.7Fretting tests
  8. 6.8Handling tests
  9. 6.9Model validation
  10. 6.10Laboratory: cladding burst test
  1. 7.1Chromium-coated cladding
  2. 7.2FeCrAl cladding
  3. 7.3SiC/SiC cladding
  4. 7.4Chromium-doped pellets
  5. 7.5Uranium silicide
  6. 7.6TRISO particles
  7. 7.7Metallic fuels
  8. 7.8International ATF programmes
  9. 7.9Qualification strategy
  10. 7.10Case study: qualification plan for a coated cladding
  1. 8.1Objective of the experiment
  2. 8.2Review of previous experiments
  3. 8.3Specimen design
  4. 8.4Instrumentation
  5. 8.5Irradiation or test conditions
  6. 8.6Safety analysis
  7. 8.7Post-irradiation examination plan
  8. 8.8Use of results in models
  9. 8.9Report and presentation
  10. 8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

A 100% online programme 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 the intake, so it fits around your job.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is FRAPCON, FRAPTRAN, TRANSURANUS, MATLAB and ImageJ, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for instrumented irradiation in test reactors, transient tests in pulsed reactors and out-of-pile oxidation and quench tests. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.

Standards covered: NUREG-0800 Section 4.2, 10 CFR 50.46, Regulatory Guide 1.236, ASTM C776, ASTM B811, ISO/IEC 17025:2017.

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 Regulatory Guide 1.236 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:FRAPCON, FRAPTRAN, TRANSURANUS, MATLAB and ImageJ, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Final project:The design of an experimental fuel programme, from specimen and instrumentation to post-irradiation examination plan, reviewed by your tutor.
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.

Test reactor experiment analysis
Analyse an instrumented irradiation experiment carried out at Halden.
Capsule instrumentation
Select the instrumentation for an in-reactor test capsule.
RIA test interpretation
Interpret the data from a CABRI reactivity insertion test.
Quench test evaluation
Evaluate a LOCA quench test and the residual ductility of the cladding.
Final project
The complete design of an experimental fuel programme, from objectives and specimen design to safety analysis and use of results in models.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Nuclear experimental engineerFuel researcherNuclear instrumentation technicianFuel qualification engineerExperimental data analystReactor safety specialist
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
  • An internet connection and a computer able to run 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 800 hours over 6–8 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, MATLAB and ImageJ, 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 final project. 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 are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the 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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