Nuclear thermal-hydraulics (Centre d'étude nucléaire-Mol)

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information below is subject to change, in particular that concerning the teaching mode (presential, distance or in a comodal or hybrid format).

5 credits

Language

English

Aims

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	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).

Content

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)

Teaching methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

2 t.m.: 40h teaching + seminar and 15h practical works in classroom
SCK.CEN guidance for demonstrations with codes
SCK.CEN + UCL TA for practical works

Evaluation methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

The final mark is composed of (i) a written exam(80%, closed book)including an exercise and a theoretical part, and (ii) the mini-project(20%).

Other information

Yann BARTOSIEWICZ yann.bartosiewicz@uclouvain.be
Professor at the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL, Louvain-la-Neuve)
Master in Turbulence modeling and Transfer Phenomena, Ecole Nationale Polytechnique de Grenoble, France, 1998.
PhD in Mechanical engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada, 2003: Modeling of supersonic plasma jets in non-Local Thermodynamics Equilibrium
Research fields: Fluid mechanics, heat transfer, compressible flows, two-phase flows, thermodynamics, computational fluid dynamics
Teaching duties in BNEN: Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics
Other research activities: scientific leader for UCL in European projects in nuclear thermal-hydraulics:
NURESIM: CFD Simulation of instabilities in a stratified two-phase flows relevant to PTS scenario NURISP: Simulation of two-phase chocked flows during LOCA: implementation of non-equilibrium models in CATHARE 3
THINS: Direct and Large Eddy Simulation (DNS/LES) of convective heat transfer for low Prandtl fluids (Liquid metals)
UCL Promotor of other projects in energy
Other duties: Member of the CFD group at OECD, Member of the European Nuclear Engineering Network (ENEN)

Online resources

https://www.sckcen.be/fbnen

Faculty or entity

EPL

Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme

Sigle

Credits

Prerequisites

Aims

Advanced Master in Nuclear Engineering

GNUC2MC