Convective Heat Transfer in PWR, BWR, CANDU, SMR, and MSR Nuclear Reactors—A Review

Abstract

Nuclear reactors are very complex units in which many physical processes occur simultaneously. Efficient heat removal from the reactor core is the most important of these processes. Heat is removed from the reactor core via heat conduction, radiation, and convection. Thus, convective heat transfer and its conditions play a crucial role in the operation and safety of nuclear reactors. Convective heat transfer in nuclear reactors is a very complex process, which is dependent on many conditions and is usually described by different correlations which combine together the most important criteria numbers, such as the Nusselt, Reynolds, and Prandtl numbers. The applicability of different correlations is limited by the conditions of heat transfer in nuclear reactors. The selection of the proper correlation is very important from the reactor design accuracy and safety points of view. The objective of this novel review is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the models and correlations which may be applied for convective heat transfer description and modeling in various types of nuclear reactors. The authors review the most important research papers related to convective heat transfer correlations which were obtained by experimental or numerical research and applied calculations and heat transfer modeling in nuclear reactors. Special focus is placed on pressurized water reactors (PWRs), boiling water reactors (BWRs), CANDU reactors, small modular reactors (SMRs), and molten salt reactors (MSRs). For each type of studied reactor, the correlations are grouped and presented in tables with their application ranges and limitations. The review results give insights into the main research directions related to convective heat transfer in nuclear reactors and set a compendium of the correlations that can be applied by engineers and scientists focused on heat transfer in nuclear reactors. Prospective research directions are also identified and suggested to address the ongoing challenges in the heat transfer modeling of present and next-generation nuclear reactors.