Comprehensive knowledge is provided on the phenomena during a Beyond Design Bases Accident (BDBA) in a Nuclear Power Plants (NPP), on their modeling as well as on countermeasures taken against radioactive releases into the environment, both by Severe Accident Management Guidelines (SAMG), together with technical backfitting measures in existing plants and an extended design of new NPP.

The course is held at PSI in the form of a block intensive course (full day lectures).Introduction to aspects of Nuclear Power Plant decommissioning including project planning and management, costs and financing, radiological characterization, dismantling/decontamination technologies, safety aspects and radioactive waste management considerations.

The course presents an overview of measurement tasks in engineering environments. Different concepts for the acquisition and processing of typical measurement quantities are introduced. Following an initial in-class introduction, laboratory exercises from different application areas (especially in thermofluidics, energy, and process engineering) are attended by students in small groups.

Phyisical fundamentals of the fission reaction and the sustainable chain reaction, thermal design, construction, function and operation of nuclear reactors and power plants, light water reactors and other reactor types, conversion and breeding, radioactive dose and limits, nuclear waste.

Basic heat removal phenomena in a reactor core, limits for heat generation and technological consequences arising from fuel, cladding and coolant properties, main principles of reactor thermal design, as well as the general design of the nuclear power plant with its main and auxiliary systems are explained. The system technology of the most important thermal and fast reactor types is introduced.

Knowledge about safety concepts and requirements of nuclear power plants and their implementation in deterministic safety concepts and safety systems. Knowledge about behavior under accident conditions and about the methods of probabilistic risk analysis and how to handle results. Introduction into key elements of the enhanced safety of nuclear systems for the future.

Introduction to the fundamentals of heat transfer and technical applications of engineering thermodynamics. Extension of thermodynamic fundamentals taught in Thermodynamics I and II.