At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

• 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).