The NEA organised the fourth International School on Simulation of Nuclear Reactor Systems (SINUS) on the topic of Reactor single- and multi-physics simulations based on Light Water Reactor (LWR) Uncertainty Analysis in Modeling (UAM) benchmark with a focus on light-water small modular reactors (LW-SMRs). Targeting students and young professionals in the nuclear sector, the course brought together the next generation of experts with the expert community from the NEA Working Party on Scientific Issues and Uncertainty Analysis of Reactor Systems (WPRS).
The course was jointly developed by the North Carolina State University (NCSU), the Radiation Safety Information Computational Center (RSICC) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the NEA WPRS with support of the Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA).
The in-person part was co-located with the WPRS Benchmarks Workshops 2026 hosted by Nuclear Operations & Facilities and the Department of Engineering Physics at McMaster University, and located in Hamilton, ON, Canada and supported by the Safety Licensing Program of Conexus Nuclear Inc. (formerly CANDU Owners Group), on behalf of its four Canadian domestic funding members (Bruce Power (BP), Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), New Brunswick Power (NBP), and Ontario Power Generation (OPG)), and three international funding members (Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica S.A. (SNN), Romania, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company (KHNP), Korea, and CNNP Nuclear Power Operations Management Company Ltd. (CNNO), China).
The technical content of the training sessions was based on the LWR UAM benchmark. It followed the specifications of the benchmark for selected benchmark exercises from the three phases of the benchmark and included additional exercises based on an LWR-SMR academic concept (PRATIC core). The scope included quantifying and propagating relevant significant uncertainties through different single physics and multi-physics modeling and simulation of nuclear reactor cores using the Pressurised Water Reactor test cases.
The trainings included practical exercises with state-of-the-art reactor simulation packages, which were provided by the NEA Data Bank and RSICC. The SINUS training sessions took place in a hybrid format, featuring lectures by NCSU faculty members, as well as internationally renowned experts from the WPRS and its expert groups.
SINUS provided an opportunity to develop a multinational network with fellow participants and international experts, and to learn more about challenging and innovative reactor physics subjects.
The SINUS-4 programme consisted of remote and in-person trainings.
The remote training included approximately 40 hours of remote lectures and exercise sessions : maximum 1 or 2 hours/day between 3pm and 6pm (CET/CEST).
The practical exercises are based on examples taken from the Benchmark for LWR-UAM of WPRS and on the PRATIC SMR academic concept, and focus on quantifying and propagating relevant significant uncertainties through different single physics and multi-physics modelling and simulation of nuclear reactor cores using the PWR test cases. The course featured homework assignments and computer projects for participant teams to be completed and presented during the in-person sessions.
Five virtual training sessions:
Participants received project assigments in which they practice the application of reactor simulation packages. Results of the project work were presented during the in-person meeting in Hamilton, ON, Canada.
The NEA organised the in-person training of the International School on Simulation of Nuclear Reactor Systems (SINUS) on 11 May - 14 May 2025. The in-person part was co-located with the WPRS Benchmarks Workshops 2026 hosted by McMaster University, in Hamilton, ON, Canada
The course was open to advanced Master’s and PhD students, or young professionals with a Master’s or PhD degrees in nuclear engineering, reactor physics, nuclear physics, and related disciplines.
Participants were to make sure they can complete the 40 hours of remote lectures, the project assignment and the in-person training at Hamilton, ON, Canada during the WPRS Benchmarks Workshops. Hosting fees for the in-person part included on-campus accomodation, breakfasts and lunches.
Participants were selected based on eligibility and excellence, considering geographical, and gender balance aspects. The selection process was based on an applicant's motivation letter and their educational track records.
The committee for selecting the students included high-level experts in the field of reactor physics: the Chair of WPRS, the Chairs of the NEA Expert Group on Reactor Multiphysics (EGMUP), and the Head of the NEA Division for Nuclear Science and Education. The selection process was supported by the NEA Secretariat.
Training material development was co-ordinated by the NCSU with support from the CEA. The RSICC and the NEA Data Bank supported the distribution of the required softwares. McMaster University was the host to the in-person event in Hamilton, ON, Canada.
This edition of SINUS was approved as an official activity under the NEA Nuclear Education, Skills and Technology (NEST) Framework. Eighteen participants from institutions in NEST member countries received financial support from NEST.
Training material was distributed through MyNEA SharePoint area.
This event has concluded. The NEA received over 250 applications from 59 countries.
WPRS Secretariat: Charles BORY
sinus@oecd-nea.org
