GRE@T-PIONEeR course "Core modelling for core design"

Did you know that the design and safe operation of nuclear reactors rely on computational simulations? Inside the nuclear reactor there is the core, and neutron transport at the core level must be modelled to predict the reactor behaviour.

The course aims to enable students to master the methods used for the neutron transport modelling at the core level in steady-state conditions using Monte Carlo and deterministic methods.

The pedagogical format of the course is based on a hybrid flipped classroom. In this format, you need to complete some online self-paced preparatory work (representing about 40 hours of work) before attending interactive classes organized during 5 consecutive days (representing about 40 hours of work). Those classes are given in a hybrid set-up, with participants following the classes either onsite or remotely on the web. Research in engineering education demonstrated that flipping leads to higher student engagement, better achievement of the learning outcomes and increases the interactions between the students and the teachers.

The target audience for the course is:

• MSc students, PhD students and Post-Doc students having some background knowledge in nuclear engineering.
• Nuclear engineers.
• Reactor physicists.
• Nuclear safety analysts.
• Research scientists in the above fields.

In order to pass the course and be issued a course completion certificate, you need to obtain at least 50 points (out of 100 max. points). All activities (both during the preparatory work and the interactive classes) are graded. The certificate will briefly describe the course contents, the number of hours the different course elements represent and the number of equivalent ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System). The course is worth 3 ECTS.

As a course participant, you get access to:

• An online Learning Management System with 24/7 access to all teaching resources for 4 months.
• During the online self-paced preparatory phase:

1. A set of handbooks written for the course.
2. Video lectures associated to the handbooks.
3. Quizzes to test your understanding.

• During the interactive phase:

1. Engaging activities aimed at applying the principles learned during the preparatory phase.
2. Expert support from the teachers.
3. Possibility to network with the other participants.

You can read some testimonies of our past attendees on our website at this link.

The course is given by:

• Prof. Nuria García-Herranz, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
• Prof. Christophe Demazière, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
• Assoc. Prof. Máté Szieberth, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary.
• Prof. Rafa Miró, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain.