Diploma in Mechanical and Thermal Design of Fuel Assemblies
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in mechanical and thermal design of fuel assemblies. 8 modules covering assembly components, rod heat transfer, channel thermal-hydraulics, thermomechanical behaviour, structural design, fuel performance codes and licensing criteria under NUREG-0800 Section 4.2, 10 CFR 50.46 and IAEA SSG-52, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Mechanical and Thermal Design of Fuel Assemblies — studying from Ireland
Ireland maintains a small defence force, the Defence Forces, which operates its own engineering corps and equipment maintenance capabilities. Defence procurement and development are handled through the Department of Defence, while much of the wider defence-related industrial activity involves dual-use technologies, electronics and communications systems supplied by domestic and international firms. Engineers in this area typically work on land vehicle maintenance, military communications, protective equipment and systems integration. Policy and procurement are governed by national and European frameworks, including EU defence initiatives.
Fees for Ireland: €1,090 (Euro), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Ireland
Typical roles
Questions from Ireland
Which Irish bodies oversee defence engineering and does a private qualification count?
Defence in Ireland is overseen by the Department of Defence, and the Defence Forces run their own training and technical structures. Engineers Ireland sets general professional engineering standards. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not state-awarded, and they are not accredited by any national body, so recognition for any defence-related role is decided by the relevant authority or employer.
Do Irish defence and land-systems employers hire people with private online qualifications?
Irish defence-related hiring is limited and often subject to security vetting and specific qualification requirements, so employers set their own criteria. A private online qualification may be taken into account alongside experience, but we cannot say how any employer will view it or guarantee any result. Check requirements for particular roles directly.
Can I study this from Ireland while working, and what is the workload?
Yes, the programme is 100% online and taught in English, so you can study from home without travel or a student visa. Master's programmes total 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and specialist courses 300. Each student has an assigned technical tutor, fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be possible. Plan your weekly hours realistically around your job.
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.
What you will be able to do
Describe the components of light water reactor fuel assemblies.
Calculate temperature distributions in fuel rods.
Analyse thermal-hydraulic margins to the boiling crisis.
Assess the mechanical behaviour of pellets and cladding.
Design the assembly to withstand structural loads.
Use fuel performance codes.
Verify the applicable design and licensing criteria.
Who it's for
- Nuclear fuel design engineers.
- Thermal-hydraulic analysts.
- Fuel performance specialists.
- Licensing engineers.
- Core engineers.
- Researchers in advanced fuels.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter nuclear fuel manufacturing.
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)
- IAEA SSG-52 (design of the reactor core for nuclear power plants)
- Regulatory Guide 1.236 (pressurised-water reactor control rod ejection and BWR rod drop accidents)
- ASTM C776 (sintered UO2 pellets for light water reactors)
- ASTM B811 (wrought zirconium alloy seamless tubes for fuel cladding)
- 10 CFR 50 Appendix A (general design criteria for nuclear power plants)
- FRAPCON
- FRAPTRAN
- TRANSURANUS
- BISON
- COBRA-TF
8 modules
1.1UO2 and MOX pellets1.2Zirconium alloy cladding1.3Fuel rods and plenum1.4PWR 17×17 assembly1.5BWR assemblies and channel1.6Spacer grids1.7Top and bottom nozzles1.8Guide tubes and instrumentation1.9Materials and specifications1.10Practical exercise: technical description of an assembly
2.1Volumetric heat generation2.2Conduction in the pellet2.3Conductivity integral2.4Gap conductance2.5Conduction in the cladding2.6Convection to the coolant2.7Axial power distribution2.8Centreline temperature2.9Peaking factors2.10Practical exercise: radial temperature profile
3.1Subchannel energy balance3.2Single-phase and two-phase flow3.3Subcooled nucleate boiling3.4Boiling crisis and DNB3.5W-3 and similar correlations3.6Subchannel analysis3.7Inter-subchannel mixing3.8COBRA-TF code3.9DNBR ratio3.10Laboratory: DNBR calculation with a subchannel code
4.1Differential thermal expansion4.2Densification and swelling4.3Fission gas release4.4Pellet-cladding interaction4.5Cladding creep4.6Gap closure4.7Irradiation growth4.8Cladding fatigue4.9Corrosion and hydriding4.10Case study: pellet-cladding interaction during a power ramp
5.1Grids and springs5.2Flow-induced vibration5.3Fretting wear5.4Seismic and LOCA loads5.5Assembly bow5.6Handling and transport5.7Hold-down springs5.8Mechanical testing5.9Debris filters5.10Workshop: modal analysis of a fuel rod
6.1FRAPCON for steady state6.2FRAPTRAN for transients6.3TRANSURANUS6.4BISON6.5Validation against databases6.6Uncertainty analysis6.7Fission gas release models6.8Code licensing6.9Coupling with neutronics6.10Case study: simulation of a power history
7.1NUREG-0800 Section 4.27.2Fuel rod design criteria7.3Reactivity-initiated accidents7.4LOCA criteria7.5Burnup limits7.6Accident-tolerant fuels7.7Inspection of irradiated fuel7.8Oversight by the CSN (Spanish Nuclear Safety Council)7.9Management of fuel rod failures7.10Practical exercise: verification of criteria for a cycle
8.1Core requirements8.2Materials selection8.3Thermal design of the rod8.4Thermal-hydraulic analysis8.5Mechanical analysis8.6Code simulation8.7Verification of criteria8.8Proposed improvements8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
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, BISON and COBRA-TF, in free, academic or evaluation versions. The practical work is based on real procedures for subchannel thermal-hydraulic calculations, thermomechanical performance simulation and verification of licensing criteria. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: NUREG-0800 Section 4.2, 10 CFR 50.46, IAEA SSG-52, Regulatory Guide 1.236, ASTM C776, ASTM B811, 10 CFR 50 Appendix A.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
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.
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, BISON and COBRA-TF, 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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