Heavy Metal Summer School
Industriezone Boeretang Zuid – Boeretang 190
Mol
Général
Heavy liquid metal (HLM) coolants offer new perspectives for the development of innovative nuclear systems for nuclear waste transmutation and energy production. The Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN) is working on the development of the HLM cooled MYRRHA accelerator driven system (ADS). MYRRHA will serve as an ADS demonstrator for transmutation, as an HLM reactor pilot plant and it will be used as an irradiation tool for research. With this, it is at the forefront of HLM nuclear technology worldwide.
During this summer school, participants will gain insight into the state-of-the-art research focused to the development of MYRRHA and other HLM-based nuclear systems. The summer school will cover several aspects of HLM technology that are essential for the engineering design and safety of nuclear systems.
Experts from SCK CEN and other internationally renowned research organizations will give the lectures. They will cover the most advanced HLM-based nuclear systems and deal with the neutronics, chemical, thermal hydraulic and materials issues and challenges in instrumentation, safety and design. Complementary to the lectures, visits are foreseen to various experimental facilities that were constructed at SCK CEN in support of the MYRRHA project.
Throughout the course week, participants will have the opportunity to brainstorm on best practices and selections of technologies for HLM cooled nuclear systems in interactive sessions with the experts.
As a research center specializing in heavy liquid metal technology, it seems more than a coincidence that SCK CEN is neighbor to one of the most successful Heavy Metal festivals in the world: the Graspop Metal Meeting (GMM). The GMM begins when the HLM summer school ends. Each participant receives a free festival ticket for GMM for Friday June 18 (*), 2027 to enjoy metal and liquids at this unique festival.
SCK CEN reserves the right to cancel a training course or event (e.g. in case of low number of registrations).
(*) Participation to the GMM festival is voluntary and at your own risk. Conditions of GMM on ticket apply. You are not entitled to exchange the ticket with SCK CEN nor claim the value hereof from SCK CEN. SCK CEN is not responsible for any damage or theft at GMM.
Sujets
To set the frame, the motivation for HLM-based nuclear systems and the design of several of the most developed HLM facilities will be introduced. In addition, the link with accelerator technology for ADS systems and partitioning and transmutation fuels is made.
In a module on chemistry you will be introduced to the various sources of impurities in HLM and to methods for their purification, to oxygen monitoring and control systems, and to the chemistry of radioactive impurities.
In the module on materials you will learn to select materials for structural and functional components of reactors and get acquainted with irradiation damage processes and with liquid metal induced corrosion and its mitigation strategies.
The thermal hydraulics module will start from the fundamentals of heat transfer in liquid metals to provide insight in the thermal hydraulic phenomena occurring in the fuel assembly and primary system. Experimental and numerical tools for the system safety analysis will also be covered.
In the instrumentation module you will get an overview of measurement techniques that can be used in liquid metals.
Attention is also given to the socio-economic and ethical aspects of this technology.
Groupe cible
The summer school is targeted to last year Master students in engineering, PhD students, post-docs and young professionals in the field.
Programme
The full programme can be downloaded here.
Connaissances nécessaires
Participants should have obtained a Master degree in physics or engineering (or be at the end of the last year).
Préparation
Participants are requested to send in an application file (1 pdf file) containing following items:
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general contact details
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brief motivation to attend the summer school (max. 200 words)
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scientific CV including current position and field of research (latest degree obtained, current job description, supervising professor/direct manager and previous studies relevant to the HMSS topics)
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abstract for a poster presentation on your research project
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budget breakdown of the associated costs
This should be sent to academy [at] sckcen [dot] be (academy[at]sckcen[dot]be), the latest on March 15, 2027.
Applicants will be informed about the evaluation not later than March 24, 2027. They will then be contacted by the SCK CEN Academy and asked to log in into the SCK CEN Academy registration system for confirmation of their participation.
Résultats de l'apprentissage
After participation to this course, participants will be able to:
Related to the module on motivation and design:
- understand the motivation behind the use of HLM coolants in nuclear applications
- describe the basic design principles for HLM cooled nuclear systems
- understand the principles that define the requirements and design of an accelerator suited for ADS
- understand the principles and steps required for spent fuel partitioning and the conversion into transmutation fuel
Related to the module on coolant chemistry:
- identify different chemical processes occurring in HLM systems and explain their relation to operation and safety
- list the different sources of impurities in HLM systems
- describe by which theoretical and experimental methods the different sources of impurities can be quantified
- explain why and by which methods certain impurities are removed from heavy liquid metal coolants
- explicate why oxygen control and monitoring is essential for operation of HLM nuclear systems
- describe by which methods oxygen control can be achieved and explain their operation
- explain the working principle and different designs of oxygen sensors
- clarify which chemical processes govern the distribution of radionuclides in a system like MYRRHA
- explain the physic chemistry of radionuclide evaporation from heavy liquid metals and experimental methods to measure evaporation
Related to the module on thermal hydraulics:
- explain the general principles of liquid metal heat transfer
- identify the possibilities and shortcomings of different numerical approaches for liquid metal heat transfer
- select proper correlations for pressure loss and heat transfer coefficients in liquid metal cooled fuel assemblies
- estimate the effects of blockages and deformations in fuel assemblies
- explain the phenomena occurring in heavy liquid metal pools including mixing and stratification, sloshing etc.
- describe the approach to design and instrument a scaled pool experiment
- identify the possibilities and shortcomings of system analysis codes for heavy liquid metal cooled reactor systems
- explain the issues related to system safety in heavy liquid metal cooled reactor systems
Related to the module on materials issues:
- identify the general principles of selection and qualification of materials for structural and functional components of reactors
- differentiate between screening tests and characterization of materials properties for design
- list mechanical properties used for the design of structural and functional components
- name the degradation effects of heavy liquid metals and neutron irradiation on mechanical properties used in the development of reactor components
- describe the general principles of liquid metal corrosion and to give an example of mitigation approaches
Related to the module on instrumentation:
- give an overview of measurement techniques for diagnostics and process monitoring of liquid metal systems
Informations sur l'inscription
You can register using the button above until 15 March 2027.
Cancellation with total refund is only possible until 14 May 2027.
Official registration is only possible following a positive evaluation of the application file (see 'Preparation').
Cancellation requests must be submitted by email to academy [at] sckcen [dot] be and to the selected hotel no later than 14 May 2027.
For cancellations received after this date, as well as for no-shows, the full registration fee and hotel costs will be charged.
Participation includes
- Full participation in the course, interactive sessions and technical visits
- Welcome and networking reception on Monday evening, 14 June
- Behind-the-scenes visit to the Graspop Metal Meeting festival site on Tuesday evening, 15 June
- Belgian street food experience on Tuesday evening, 15 June
- Coffee breaks and lunches throughout the course
- Access to online training materials and course information via the CANVAS platform
- Daily bus transport between the selected hotel and the course venue
- Certificate of attendance
- A complimentary ticket for the Graspop Metal Meeting music festival on Friday afternoon, 18 June
A limited number of participants may be awarded a TRANSPARANT Mobility Grant (lump sum amount to be communicated) to help cover travel and accommodation expenses.
All participants are expected to attend the full programme and prepare a poster presentation on their research topic.
SCK CEN reserves the right to cancel the training course or event, for example in the case of insufficient registrations.
Logement
The course will be held at the SCK CEN Lakehouse of the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, located at Boeretang 201, BE-2400 Mol, Belgium.
A block of 30 rooms has been reserved at the Turnova Hotel in Turnhout. Participants are kindly requested to contact the hotel directly for room rates and reservations: info [dot] turnova [at] corsendonkhotels [dot] com.
Once your reservation has been confirmed, please inform the course organisers at academy [at] sckcen [dot] be (for the attention of Mrs Kris Pennemans).
Daily transportation between the Turnova Hotel and the course venue will be provided by the organisers.