Course in Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors
300-hour online course in sodium-cooled fast reactors. 6 modules covering RCC-MRx (AFCEN, high-temperature reactor components), ASME BPVC Section III, Division 5 (high-temperature reactors) and SAS4A/SASSYS-1. Assigned tutor and enrolment open.
Course in Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors — studying from South Africa
South Africa is one of the few African countries with an operating nuclear power programme, centred on the Koeberg power station near Cape Town, operated by Eskom. The country also has nuclear research and fuel cycle activity through the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation, known as Necsa, based at Pelindaba near Pretoria. Nuclear engineers work on reactor operation, safety, fuel management and decommissioning. The National Nuclear Regulator is the independent authority that licenses and oversees nuclear activities.
Fees for South Africa: R 8 340 (South African rand), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in South Africa
Typical roles
Questions from South Africa
Will a SEIUM qualification be recognised by the professional bodies in South Africa for this area?
SEIUM qualifications are private and not accredited by any South African body, so they are not official state degrees. Nuclear activities in South Africa are regulated by the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR), and professional registration runs through ECSA. Acceptance of a private qualification in this regulated field rests with employers or the relevant authority, so verify before enrolling.
How might this qualification be used by employers in South Africa in nuclear engineering?
Nuclear employers, including Eskom and specialist contractors, typically require formally recognised qualifications, security clearances and regulatory competence. A private SEIUM qualification may add background knowledge but is unlikely to meet formal requirements on its own. Discuss this with employers in the nuclear sector to understand how they would view it.
Can I study this programme alongside full-time work from South Africa, and is there a time zone or language issue?
The programme is fully online and taught in English, so you can study from South Africa without a student visa. Master's programmes require 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours, with an assigned technical tutor. Fees can be paid in instalments and employer sponsorship is possible. Ask SEIUM about time-zone and workload details before enrolling.
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 physical fundamentals of fast-spectrum reactors.
Describe the plant design and its primary and secondary circuits.
Analyse the neutronics, reactivity coefficients and fuel of fast reactors.
Identify the properties of sodium and the technological requirements for handling it.
Evaluate the inherent safety characteristics and unprotected transients.
Assess the operating experience and future of sodium-cooled fast reactors.
Prepare a technical study on a sodium-cooled fast reactor design.
Who it's for
- Fast reactor engineer looking to specialise in Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors.
- Neutronics analyst looking to specialise in Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors.
- Liquid metal thermal-hydraulics engineer looking to specialise in Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors.
- Sodium technology specialist looking to specialise in Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors.
- Advanced reactor safety engineer looking to specialise in Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors.
- Generation IV reactor researcher looking to specialise in Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter Generation IV reactors.
What you'll work with
- RCC-MRx (AFCEN, high-temperature reactor components)
- ASME BPVC Section III, Division 5 (high-temperature reactors)
- NRC Regulatory Guide 1.232 (design criteria for non-LWR reactors)
- GIF Safety Design Criteria for sodium-cooled fast reactors (SDC)
- IAEA SSR-2/1 (Rev.1) (design of nuclear power plants)
- Directive 2014/87/Euratom (nuclear safety)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Fast spectrum and absence of moderator1.2Neutron balance and conversion ratio1.3Efficient use of uranium resources1.4Reduction of actinide inventory1.5History of fast reactors and plants built1.6Sodium as a coolant and its properties1.7Thermal advantages of liquid metal1.8Specific hazards of sodium1.9Alternatives: lead, gas and salts1.10Exercise: comparing fast reactor coolants
2.1Pool and loop configurations2.2Vessel, electromagnetic and mechanical pumps2.3Intermediate heat exchangers and secondary sodium circuit2.4Steam generator and its protection2.5High power density core2.6Fuel and cladding for fast spectrum2.7Diversified control and shutdown systems2.8Containment and safety systems2.9Fuel handling under sodium2.10Practice: plant circuit diagram
3.1Cross sections in fast spectrum3.2Reactivity coefficients and their sign3.3Sodium void coefficient3.4Doppler effect and safety margin3.5Oxide, metal, carbide and nitride fuels3.6Achievable burn-up and material damage3.7Breeding zones and inventory management3.8Actinide recycling and americium-bearing fuel3.9Safeguards and material accountancy3.10Practice: calculating the conversion ratio of a core
4.1Handling, melting and purification of sodium4.2Cold traps and impurity control4.3Sodium leak detection4.4Sodium fires and their extinction4.5Sodium-water reaction in the steam generator4.6Hydrogen detection and protection4.7Sodium opacity and inspection challenges4.8In-service inspection in opaque media4.9Maintenance and cleaning of components4.10Practice: sodium leak response plan
5.1Characteristic accident sequences5.2Loss of coolant and loss of flow5.3Reactivity accident and unprotected transients5.4Passive safety and inherent response5.5Material retention in the event of melting5.6Operating experience of historical plants5.7Costs and reasons for the abandonment of some projects5.8Current projects and modular designs5.9Role in waste management5.10Practice: analysing an unprotected transient
6.1Choice of concept and power rating6.2Description of the design and circuits6.3Simplified neutronic design of the core6.4Selection of fuel and materials6.5Analysis of reactivity coefficients6.6Sodium technology and protective measures6.7Analysis of an accident sequence6.8Fuel cycle strategy and safeguards6.9Technical report6.10Defence of the work
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 programme with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is SAS4A/SASSYS-1, Serpent, ERANOS, OpenFOAM, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Case studies are based on real procedures for analysing reactivity coefficients in fast spectrum, studies of unprotected transients and reviews of operating experience of sodium reactors. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Explain the physical fundamentals of fast-spectrum reactors.
Describe the plant design and its primary and secondary circuits.
Analyse the neutronics, reactivity coefficients and fuel of fast reactors.
Identify the properties of sodium and the technological requirements for handling it.
Evaluate the inherent safety characteristics and unprotected transients.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish to follow technical standards documentation.
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 consists of 300 hours in total, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is between 10 and 15 hours per week on average, compatible with a full-time job.
You will work with SAS4A/SASSYS-1, Serpent, ERANOS and OpenFOAM. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor will indicate the free alternative where one exists.
An SEIUM own diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. It is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are credited towards the higher-level programme. Please check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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