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MATH-H510

Risk-based methodologies for energy systems

academic year
2026-2027

Course teacher(s)

Pierre-Etienne LABEAU (Coordinator) and Pierre HENNEAUX

ECTS credits

4

Language(s) of instruction

english

Course content

Nuclear power plants and power systems are very different systems. Yet their risk analysis is historically based on the same type of complementing approach: a deterministic approach in which safety criteria must be fulfilled in a set of predetermined situations; and a probabilistic approach to address the residual risk (and in the case of power systems, to account for the random nature of intermittent generation means).
Following general introductions to risk analysis of nuclear power plants as well as to power system reliability, the course will consist of a selection of seminars and practical sessions given by researchers and industrials. These activities will highlight various applications of probabilistic methods to risk analysis and performance enhancement of those large infrastructures.

Objectives (and/or specific learning outcomes)

Give the students an overview of various risk methodologies for nuclear power plants and power systems.
Offer them a direct contact with the research and industrial developments in those fields.
Equip them with elements on how to build a safety case for existing or future reactors and on how to efficiently operate modern grids. 

Prerequisites and Corequisites

Required and Corequired knowledge and skills

Elements of nuclear technology, power systems, and reliability and safety

Teaching methods and learning activities

The course is made of a mix of lectures, research seminars, industrial presentations and computer-based tutorials.

Course notes

  • Université virtuelle

Contribution to the teaching profile

Contribution to a safer, hence more sustainable, operation of nuclear power plants and modern grids.

 

Other information

Contacts

Pierre-Etienne LABEAU, pierre.etienne.labeau@ulb.be
Pierre HENNEAUX, pierre.henneaux@ulb.be

Campus

Solbosch

Evaluation

Method(s) of evaluation

  • Personal work
  • Oral presentation

Personal work

Oral presentation

Presentation of two personal works

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

50% for each work

Language(s) of evaluation

  • english

Programmes