Online Course – Certified Professional Internship in Nuclear Fuel Management from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Nuclear Fuel Management: A Practical Approach. The course offers an introduction to nuclear fuel management, utilizing online resources and professional information from organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Nuclear Association. By the end of the course, the student will understand the stages of the fuel cycle, be able to find up-to-date information, and possess the skills to perform basic calculations at each stage of the nuclear fuel cycle.

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קורס אונליין - התמחות מקצועית מוסמכת בניהול דלק גרעיני של Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Professional Certificate

Intermediate level

No prior knowledge required

Time to complete the course

7-day free trial

No unnecessary risks

Skills you will acquire in the course

  • Problem analysis ability
  • Developing critical thinking
  • Communication skills
  • Teamwork
  • Planning and organization
  • Implementing new technologies
  • Time management
  • Creative thinking
  • Independent learning ability
  • Coping with stress

What you will learn in the course

Courses for which the course is suitable

  • Nuclear Fuel Engineer
  • Nuclear Energy Project Manager
  • Nuclear reactor fuel management expert
  • Nuclear Fuel Cycle Analyst
  • Researcher in the field of uranium and thorium resources
  • Process engineer in the field of nuclear energy
  • Technical consultant for nuclear energy facilities
  • Operations Manager at Nuclear Fuel Recycling Facilities
  • Nuclear fuel cycle cost estimation expert
  • Nuclear energy safety expert

Internship – a three-part course series

The special program

  • Divided into three online courses:
    • Front end of the nuclear fuel cycle
    • Back end of the nuclear fuel cycle
    • Fuel management inside the reactor

What will the student learn?

  • The International Atomic Energy Agency’s Comprehensive Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information System
  • Nuclear fuel recycling facilities around the world
  • Uranium deposits including their classification, technical information, and detailed geological information on:
    • Regions
    • Districts
    • Precipitation
  • Thorium deposits including details of thorium deposits and resources around the world

Skills that will be developed

  • Assessment of requirements for materials and services related to the nuclear fuel cycle stages
  • Performing basic calculations for nuclear fuel and reactor core design
  • Calculating the average nuclear fuel cycle cost

Hands-on Learning Project

  • Based on real cases, one for each course
  • Assessment tests and practical tasks
  • Understanding the different stages of the nuclear fuel cycle
  • Fundamentals of fuel management within the reactor

Learning outcomes by course

  • After completing the first course: The student will be able to calculate the masses of materials associated with each step in the front end.
  • After completing the second course: The student will be able to calculate the composition, heat of decomposition, and radiotoxicity of spent fuel.
  • After completing the third course: The student will be able to:
    • Estimate the fuel reload rate and enrichment for a steady-state cycle
    • Perform basic calculations regarding nuclear fuel and reactor core design
    • Calculate the cost of the open nuclear fuel cycle (one-time)

Details of the courses that make up the specialization

Out-of-Core Nuclear Fuel Management Responsibilities: Course 1

  • • 10 hours

Course Details

What will you learn?
  • You will be able to recognize and describe the basic principles of the different stages of the front end of the fuel cycle.
  • You will be able to find up-to-date information and knowledge about the subject of study.
  • You will acquire skills to perform basic calculations at the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle.

Out-of-Core Nuclear Fuel Management Responsibilities: Course 2

  • • 6 hours

Course Details

What will you learn?
  • At the end of this course, the student will be able to recognize and describe the basic principles of the different stages of the back end of the fuel cycle.
  • Will be able to find up-to-date information and knowledge about the subject of study.
  • Will acquire skills to perform basic calculations at the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle.

Nuclear Fuel Management Inside the Core: Course 3

  • • 7 hours

Course Details

What will you learn?
  • Upon completion of this course, students will acquire in-depth knowledge of nuclear fuel management and reactor core design.
  • Learn to enumerate and understand the basic parameters involved in fuel management within the core, including:
    • Fuel loading rate estimation.
    • Enrichment for equilibrium cycles using the linear reactivity method.
  • The course will also cover the key aspects of reactor core design, including:
    • Steps in designing fuel loads.
    • Principles of nuclear fuel assembly design, including the role of burnable poisons.
  • Students will deal with the various aspects of fuel rail design, both radial and axial.
  • They will learn to identify and solve optimization problems in these areas using meta-heuristic techniques.
  • In addition, they will explore the design of core loading patterns, the design of control rod patterns, and the knowledge requirements and rules associated with this.
  • Another significant aspect of the course is the application of meta-heuristic optimization approaches to tackle complex design problems in nuclear fuel management.
  • Students will learn to interpret and apply these techniques to optimize:
    • Radial fuel lattice design.
    • Axial fuel rail design.
    • Designing core loading templates.

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