Course in Thermal Efficiency in Nuclear Rankine Cycles
Online 300-hour course in thermal efficiency in nuclear Rankine cycles. 6 modules covering ASME PTC 6 (steam turbine performance testing), ASME PTC 12.2 (steam condensers) and EBSILON Professional. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Course in Thermal Efficiency in Nuclear Rankine Cycles — 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 13 900 (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
Describe the saturated steam cycle of a nuclear power plant.
Analyse cycle improvements such as reheating and regeneration.
Evaluate the behaviour of the turbine, condenser and cold sink.
Diagnose causes of performance degradation in operation.
Calculate heat balances using specialised software.
Assess alternative uses of heat, such as cogeneration or desalination.
Propose a performance improvement plan for a real cycle.
Who it's for
- Thermal performance engineer who wants to specialise in Thermal Efficiency in Nuclear Rankine Cycles.
- Plant process engineer who wants to specialise in Thermal Efficiency in Nuclear Rankine Cycles.
- Steam turbine specialist who wants to specialise in Thermal Efficiency in Nuclear Rankine Cycles.
- Operations engineer who wants to specialise in Thermal Efficiency in Nuclear Rankine Cycles.
- Energy efficiency consultant who wants to specialise in Thermal Efficiency in Nuclear Rankine Cycles.
- Nuclear cogeneration engineer who wants to specialise in Thermal Efficiency in Nuclear Rankine Cycles.
- Graduates in engineering or science who want to enter nuclear power plants.
What you'll work with
- ASME PTC 6 (steam turbine performance tests)
- ASME PTC 12.2 (steam condensers)
- IAPWS-IF97 (water and steam properties)
- ASME PTC 46 (overall plant performance)
- Directive 2010/75/EU (industrial emissions)
- EPRI Heat Rate Improvement Guidelines
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Ideal Rankine cycle and its processes1.2Temperature–entropy and enthalpy–entropy diagrams1.3Differences compared with a conventional thermal power plant1.4Limitation of steam temperature1.5Saturated steam versus superheated steam1.6Typical thermal efficiency and its origin1.7Power balance: thermal, gross and net1.8Auxiliary consumption of the plant1.9Cycle vocabulary and units1.10Exercise: calculate the efficiency of a simple cycle
2.1Reheating and moisture separation2.2Regeneration with feedwater heaters2.3Open and closed feedwater heaters2.4Turbine extractions and their optimisation2.5Deaerator and its function2.6Effect of condenser pressure2.7Subcooling and blowdown2.8Cycle with high- and low-pressure turbines2.9Plant heat balance diagram2.10Practical: optimise the extractions of a cycle
3.1Large-capacity steam turbine3.2Moisture during expansion and blade erosion3.3Isentropic efficiency and internal losses3.4Surface condenser and vacuum3.5Heat transfer in the condenser and fouling3.6Cooling towers and once-through cooling3.7Effect of ambient temperature and of the cold sink3.8Thermal impact on the receiving environment3.9Environmental constraints on discharge3.10Practical: assess the effect of the cold sink on output
4.1Real-time performance monitoring4.2Indicators and specific heat rate4.3Steam and water leaks4.4Fouling in the condenser and feedwater heaters4.5Air ingress and loss of vacuum4.6Turbine degradation and washing4.7Internal valve leakage4.8Diagnosing the origin of a performance loss4.9Economic value of one point of efficiency4.10Practical: diagnose a drop in performance
5.1Power uprate projects5.2Replacing components with higher-efficiency alternatives5.3Improving vacuum and the cold sink5.4Cogeneration and district heating5.5Desalination coupled to the plant5.6Hydrogen production using heat and electricity5.7Thermal storage for flexibility5.8Flexible operation and load following5.9Economic analysis of an improvement5.10Practical: assess a power uprate project
6.1Choice of the plant and its cycle6.2Thermal Balance Model6.3Reference performance calculation6.4Identification of losses and their origin6.5Proposal of technical improvements6.6Quantification of expected profit6.7Economic analysis of improvements6.8Proposal for alternative use of heat6.9Technical memory6.10Defense of work
How you'll learn
Fully 100 % online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are 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 EBSILON Professional, Thermoflex, EES (Engineering Equation Solver), PEPSE, CoolProp, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied using real procedures for plant heat balances, steam turbine performance testing and diagnosis of condenser degradation. 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.
Describe the saturated steam cycle of a nuclear power plant.
Analyse cycle improvements such as reheating and regeneration.
Evaluate the behaviour of the turbine, condenser and cold sink.
Diagnose causes of performance degradation in operation.
Calculate heat balances using specialised software.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient level of Spanish to follow the reading of technical regulations.
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 between 10 and 15 hours per week on average, compatible with a full-time job.
You will work with EBSILON Professional, Thermoflex, EES (Engineering Equation Solver), PEPSE, CoolProp. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor will indicate the free alternative where one exists.
A 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 can be credited towards the higher-level programme. Check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.
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