State-Of-The-Art and Review of Condensation Heat Transfer for Small Modular Reactor Passive Safety: Computational Studies

Abstract

The small modular reactor (SMR) is a promising option with added safety features, economical manufacturing, reliable parts, portability, and scalable energy capacity that emits no greenhouse gas during its operating lifespan. the SMR safety systems, however, need to be evaluated for design and licensing. Thus, they require the verification and validation of the physics models and correlations. This study focuses on state-of-the-art condensation heat transfer analysis and a review of previous studies related to the passive containment cooling system (PCCS) of a SMR. in the PCCS of a SMR, due to its smaller size containment, filmwise condensation is dominant and therefore emphasized in this study. Previous condensation heat transfer studies for PCCSs did not make the SMR the primary focus, so a critical review for formulating the state-of-the-art is necessary. a previous review covered experimental condensation heat transfer studies with a brief overview of associated test facilities and empirical correlations. This review covers the empirical, resistance-layer and theoretical (numerical and commercial CFD) approaches.

Department(s)

Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science

Comments

Idaho National Laboratory, Grant None

Keywords and Phrases

Condensation; Heat transfer; Models; Small modular reactor; Theory

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0029-5493

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2025 Elsevier, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

15 Aug 2023

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