Hybrid course on reactor physics experiments and modeling (BME)

Date:

23.09.2024 – 27.09.2024 (5 working days)

Venue:

Training Reactor / Institute of Nuclear Techniques (NTI), Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary

Organizer:

Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), Hungary, under the management of the European Nuclear Experimental Educational Platform (ENEEP) and in cooperation with the European Nuclear Educational Network (ENEN)

Language:

English

Purpose:

To consolidate the theoretical understanding of the fundamental aspects of reactor physics through measurements, hands-on experience, and simulations. The aim is to compare measurements and simulations and demonstrate the importance of modeling details and achievable accuracy. A set of measurements is offered in a format developed during the GRE@T-PIONEeR Horizon 2020 project to allow the application of the acquired theoretical knowledge in practice. The pedagogical format of the course is based on a hybrid flipped classroom. In this format, you must complete some preparatory work online (representing about 40 hours) before attending the on-site or online hands-on exercises. The course page for these online activities will open one month before the course.

After the course, participants will be able to:

Understand the principles of experimental reactor physics, nuclear measurements, and radiation protection.
Understand the behavior of nuclear reactors and their operation.
Evaluate measurement data and compare with modeling results.

Participants’ qualifications:

The course is aimed at students in master's degree programs and early Ph.D. students in nuclear engineering as the major curriculum. It is also suitable for students studying various major engineering curricula such as power engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering with future assignments in various nuclear curricula. Young professionals of NPPs or other nuclear-related industrial companies and regulatory bodies are also welcome.

Online participation is only recommended to applicants who have acquired previous knowledge about reactor physics simulations and modeling methods and tools (e.g.: Monte Carlo codes like OpenMC, methods of deterministic modeling, group constant preparation, etc.) Related experience (e.g. completed GRE@T-PIONEeR courses) should be described in the application. Onsite participation is recommended for all with basic reactor physics knowledge.

Course program:

The measurement sessions, which occur every morning (ca. 08:30-12:30, CEST), are offered only to onsite participants. However, a separate online session is offered for online participants in the morning to perform hands-on modeling and simulation exercises related to the measurements. The online participants can join the measurement data evaluation sessions in the afternoon (ca. 13:30-17:30, CEST), which will be in a hybrid format.

Measurements offered during the five days:

Criticality experiment
Reactivity worth measurement
Reactor operation exercise
Thermal neutron flux distribution
Diffusion length in graphite

Course director:

Máté Szieberth (BME)

Contact person:

Máté Szieberth (BME)

Jakub Lüley (ENEEP)

Course fee, fellowship:

The course fee for self-paying onsite participants is 1,000 € without TAX, and for self-paying online participants, 100 € without TAX. The course fee includes course materials, full access to all exercises for onsite participants, and online tutoring before and during the course. The course fee does not include accommodation, per diem, or transportation of the participants.

Onsite participants from ENEN-eligible countries (please see the ENEN2plus mobility manual.) are encouraged to apply for the travel grant, which covers:

Course fee: 500 €
Travel lump sum: 350 €
Per diem: 350 €

The maximum number of granted participants is 10 and the minimum number of total participants to open a course is 6. The online part of the course will be opened for a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 20 participants.

Application deadline:

May 31, 2024, 23.59 CET

Application Procedure:

To apply to the course, the applicant should fill in the ENEEP APPLICATION FORM and submit the following documents:

filled-in application form,
curriculum vitae,
motivation letter

The ENEEP evaluation committee will inform all applicants about the results of the application procedure by June 20, 2024, at 23.59 CET.

In the next step, the selected participants shall apply for the ENEN2plus MOBILITY GRANT, provided through the ENEN2plus project. The application for the grant should be in line with the conditions stated in the ENEN2plus mobility manual. After meeting the conditions of the mobility manual, the participants selected through the ENEEP application procedure will be automatically granted. The deadline for the ENEN2plus mobility grant is July 12, 2024, at 23.59 CET.

Acknowledgement:

This event has been partially supported by the ENEN2plus project (HORIZON-EURATOM-2021-NRT-01-13 101061677) founded by the European Union. The development of the course materials has been supported by the GRE@T-PIONEeR Horizon 2020 project (Grant Number 890675).