Nuclear thermal hydraulics
Prof. Yann Bartosiewicz – Université Catholique de Louvain
5 ECTS
150 hours study time
- 30 contact hours theory
- 24 contact hours exercises/laboratory sessions/visits
- 14 contact hours personal work
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- To learn how to estimate the volumetric heat generation rate in fission reactor cores under normal operation and shutdown conditions
- To learn how to analyse the thermal performance of nuclear fuel elements
- To learn the basic fluid mechanics of single phase reactor cooling systems
- To learn to calculate pressure drop in reactor systems, including tube bundles, and spacer grids
- To learn to analyse the heat transfer characteristics of single phase reactor cooling systems
- To learn the basic fluid mechanics of two-phase systems, including modelling approaches, flow regime maps, void-quality relations, and pressure drop evaluation
- To learn the fundamentals of boiling heat transfer, and its implications for reactor design
- To calculate and analyze the coolant conditions throughout a reactor loop including the determination of natural convection regime
- To learn the fundamentals of core thermal design, e.g. flow rate/pressure drop relation under different conditions (friction dominated/gravity dominated) for the evaluation of cooling performances
In addition of supervised exercises, a mini-project is organized about modelling and computing pressure drop in a boiling channel (different conditions and assumptions may be treated over the years).
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- Thermal design principles/reactor heat generation
- Reminders about single phase transport equations (prerequisite)
- Two-phase flow models, transport equations
- Thermodynamic (vessels/pressurizer) and power conversion cycle (steam)
- Heat transfer analysis in a fuel element
- Reminders about single phase fluid mechanics and heat transfer (prerequisite)
- Two-phase fluid mechanics and pressure drops
- Two-phase heat transfer (pool boiling, flow boiling)
- Single heated channel (thermal and flow problems)
- Flow loops (steady state natural convection)
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The PowerPoint presentations of the lectures, and extensive lecture notes, are available on the BNEN website.
Other useful references:
- Todreas, N.E. and Kazimi, M.S. Nuclear System I: Thermal Hydraulic Fundamentals,
- Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, 2012.
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A relevant course about introduction to nuclear energy
Fundamentals of fluid mechanics, heat transfer, thermodynamics -
The final mark is composed of (i) a written exam (80%, closed book) including an exercise and a theoretical part, and (ii) evaluation of a mini-project (20%).