Accident-Tolerant Fuel (ATF) Course
Online 300-hour course in accident-tolerant fuel (ATF). 6 modules covering 10 CFR 50.46 (ECCS acceptance criteria), NUREG-0800, chapter 4.2 (fuel design) and BISON. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Accident-Tolerant Fuel (ATF) Course — studying from New Zealand
New Zealand has no nuclear power generation, and its nuclear-related activity is limited to research, isotope applications and the regulation of imported radioactive materials. The country maintains a firm policy position against nuclear power under the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Act 1987. Relevant professional roles mainly involve radiation protection, medical and industrial applications, and international safeguards cooperation, overseen by the Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry of Health.
Fees for New Zealand: NZ$1,280 (New Zealand dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in New Zealand
Typical roles
Questions from New Zealand
Does New Zealand have nuclear engineering registration or recognition?
New Zealand has no domestic nuclear power industry, and its nuclear-related activity is regulated mainly through the Ministry of Health and the Ministry for the Environment under the Radiation Protection framework. Engineering New Zealand is the general professional body. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by any national body, so their recognition is for employers to decide.
Where could nuclear-related engineering skills be used in New Zealand?
Relevant work in New Zealand is limited and mostly found in research, radiation safety, medical physics, and the handling of radioactive materials in industry and health. Employers in these areas generally require specific accredited training and licensing. A private qualification alone is unlikely to satisfy those requirements.
Can I study this from New Zealand without relocating?
Yes. The course is fully online and taught in English, so you can study from New Zealand and no student visa is needed. Specialist courses total 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and master's programmes 1,900 hours, with an assigned technical tutor. Fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible.
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
Explain the lessons from Fukushima that drove ATF fuels.
Compare concepts for coated cladding, FeCrAl and SiC/SiC.
Analyse doped pellets and high-density fuels.
Evaluate behaviour under high-temperature oxidation.
Simulate fuel behaviour in LOCA using thermomechanical codes.
Apply the acceptance criteria of 10 CFR 50.46.
Assess the licensing and implementation roadmap for ATF.
Who it's for
- Fuel design engineer looking to specialise in Accident-Tolerant Fuel (ATF).
- Fuel materials researcher looking to specialise in Accident-Tolerant Fuel (ATF).
- Accident analysis engineer looking to specialise in Accident-Tolerant Fuel (ATF).
- Fuel licensing engineer looking to specialise in Accident-Tolerant Fuel (ATF).
- Fuel behaviour specialist looking to specialise in Accident-Tolerant Fuel (ATF).
- Nuclear materials engineer looking to specialise in Accident-Tolerant Fuel (ATF).
- Graduates in engineering or science seeking to enter the nuclear industry.
What you'll work with
- 10 CFR 50.46 (ECCS acceptance criteria)
- NUREG-0800, chapter 4.2 (fuel design)
- IAEA SSG-52 (reactor core design)
- ASTM B811 (zirconium alloy cladding tubes)
- ASTM C776 (sintered UO2 pellets)
- IAEA SSG-2 Rev. 1 (deterministic safety analysis)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Lessons from the Fukushima accident1.2Role of zirconium in hydrogen generation1.3Objectives of an accident-tolerant fuel1.4Improvement criteria: response time and margin1.5Concept of margin in accident and in operation1.6Map of concepts under development1.7Levels of technology readiness1.8International programmes under way1.9Economic and industrial fit1.10Exercise: define the improvement criteria for a concept
2.1Chromium coatings on zirconium2.2Deposition techniques and thickness control2.3Iron, chromium and aluminium alloys2.4Silicon carbide composites and architecture2.5Molybdenum cladding and multilayer concepts2.6Neutronic behaviour and reactivity penalty2.7Compatibility with the coolant2.8Compatibility with the pellet2.9Manufacturability and end-plug welding2.10Practice: compare three cladding concepts
3.1Pellets with improved conductivity3.2Uranium silicide fuel3.3Uranium nitride fuel3.4Metallic fuel and alloys3.5Dispersed and matrix fuel3.6Doping and grain size control3.7Fission product retention capacity3.8Behaviour in contact with water in case of failure3.9Uranium density and its effect on the cycle3.10Practice: assess the effect on the refuelling cycle
4.1High-temperature oxidation and hydrogen production4.2Resistance to ballooning and burst4.3Behaviour after quenching4.4Power transients4.5Loss-of-coolant accident4.6Severe accident progression4.7Behaviour in pool and in storage4.8Effect on the source term4.9Applicable regulatory criteria4.10Practice: compare the response of two concepts
5.1Staged qualification strategy5.2Out-of-reactor testing5.3Irradiation of specimens and segmented rods5.4Demonstration bundles in a commercial reactor5.5Post-irradiation examination5.6Development of models and codes5.7Early dialogue with the regulator5.8Performance-based licensing approach5.9Supply chain and industrial scale-up5.10Practice: qualification plan for a concept
6.1Choice of concept to develop6.2Justification against the reference alternative6.3Materials and manufacturing specification6.4Neutronic and cycle analysis6.5Behaviour analysis in normal operation6.6Behaviour analysis in accident6.7Test and qualification plan6.8Economic and risk analysis of the project6.9Technical report6.10Project defence
How you'll learn
Training 100 % online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: 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 BISON, FRAPCON/FRAPTRAN, TRANSURANUS, MELCOR, Thermo-Calc, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied using real procedures for high-temperature oxidation testing, LOCA behaviour simulation and evaluation of cladding coatings. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final integrative project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Explain the lessons from Fukushima that drove ATF fuels.
Compare concepts for coated cladding, FeCrAl and SiC/SiC.
Analyse doped pellets and high-density fuels.
Evaluate behaviour under high-temperature oxidation.
Simulate fuel behaviour in LOCA using thermomechanical codes.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Spanish language proficiency sufficient to follow technical regulatory texts.
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 comprises 300 hours in total, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with full-time work.
You will work with BISON, FRAPCON/FRAPTRAN, TRANSURANUS, MELCOR, Thermo-Calc. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor will indicate the free alternative where one exists.
SEIUM's own diploma upon passing continuous assessment and the integrative project. It is in-house training, not an official Ministry qualification.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area can be credited towards the advanced programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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