Course in Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics
Online 300-hour course in nuclear reactor thermal-hydraulics. 6 modules covering IAEA SSG-2 Rev. 1 (deterministic safety analysis), 10 CFR 50.46 (ECCS acceptance criteria) and RELAP5-3D. Personal tutor assigned and enrolment open.
Course in Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics — 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$1,080 (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
Apply mass, energy and momentum balances to the core.
Analyse two-phase flow, boiling and boiling crisis.
Carry out subchannel analysis of the core.
Model reactor systems with system codes.
Simulate transients and loss-of-coolant accidents.
Assess thermal safety margins.
Develop a complete thermal-hydraulic analysis project.
Who it's for
- Nuclear thermal-hydraulics engineer who wants to specialise in Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics.
- Reactor safety analyst who wants to specialise in Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics.
- Accident analysis engineer who wants to specialise in Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics.
- Core design engineer who wants to specialise in Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics.
- Nuclear CFD specialist who wants to specialise in Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics.
- Two-phase flow researcher who wants to specialise in Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics.
- Graduates in engineering or science seeking to enter the nuclear industry.
What you'll work with
- IAEA SSG-2 Rev. 1 (deterministic safety analysis)
- 10 CFR 50.46 (ECCS acceptance criteria)
- NRC Regulatory Guide 1.203 (EMDAP)
- IAEA SSG-56 (reactor cooling system design)
- NUREG-0800, Chapter 15 (transient and accident analysis)
- ASME V&V 20 (verification and validation in CFD and heat transfer)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Heat generation in the fuel1.2Conduction in the pellet and cladding1.3Conductivity integral and centreline temperature1.4Pellet-cladding gap conductance1.5Single-phase forced convection in subchannels1.6Dittus-Boelter and Weisman correlations1.7Pressure drops in the core1.8Hot channel factors1.9Axial temperature distribution1.10Practice: temperature profile in a fuel rod
2.1Two-phase flow regimes2.2Quality, void fraction and slip2.3Drift-flux model2.4Subcooled and nucleate boiling2.5Critical heat flux: DNB and dryout2.6W-3 correlations and Groeneveld tables2.7Two-phase pressure drop2.8Density wave instabilities2.9Critical flow in blowdowns2.10Workshop: DNBR calculation in a channel
3.1Subchannel formulation3.2Turbulent mixing and cross-flow3.3Spacer grids and mixing vanes3.4COBRA-TF and VIPRE codes3.5Modelling PWR fuel assemblies3.6BWR modelling and void fraction3.7Coupling with neutronic calculation3.8Thermal design limits3.9Validation with PSBT experiments3.10Laboratory: subchannel model with CTF
4.1PWR primary circuit4.2Steam generators and pressuriser4.3BWR recirculation4.4Natural circulation in the primary circuit4.5Emergency cooling systems4.6Passive cooling in AP1000 and SMRs4.7Containment thermal-hydraulics4.8Sodium- and gas-cooled reactors4.9Molten salt reactors4.10Case study: natural circulation in NuScale
5.1System codes: RELAP5 and TRACE5.2Large and small loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCA)5.3Loss of flow and rotor blockage5.4Steam generator tube rupture5.5Anticipated transients without scram (ATWS)5.610 CFR 50.46 criteria5.7Three Mile Island accident5.8Loss of power at Fukushima5.9CFD in nuclear thermal-hydraulics5.10Practice: SBLOCA simulation with RELAP5
6.1Definition of the reactor and scenario6.2Collection of design data6.3Model construction6.4Steady-state calculation6.5Transient simulation6.6Assessment of thermal margins6.7Sensitivity analysis6.8Safety conclusions6.9Report and presentation6.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training 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 the course with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is RELAP5-3D, TRACE, CTF (COBRA-TF), ANSYS CFX, OpenFOAM, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied using real procedures for subchannel analysis, LOCA and transient simulation, and calculation of margins to DNB. 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.
Apply mass, energy and momentum balances to the core.
Analyse two-phase flow, boiling and boiling crisis.
Carry out subchannel analysis of the core.
Model reactor systems with system codes.
Simulate transients and loss-of-coolant accidents.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No previous degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish to follow technical regulatory reading.
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 300 hours, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
You work with RELAP5-3D, TRACE, CTF (COBRA-TF), ANSYS CFX and OpenFOAM. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the open-source alternative where one exists.
An own diploma from SEIUM upon passing the 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 are credited towards the advanced programme. Check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.
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