Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

Course Objective

To understand and model the thermal-hydraulic behavior of key components in nuclear and conventional power systems.

Course Summary

• Two-phase flow:
  • Conservation equations
  • Flow patterns
  • Void fraction modeling
  • Pressure drop modeling
  • Steam separation
  • Instabilities
  • Critical flow
• Two-phase heat transfer:
  • Bubble nucleation
  • Pool boiling
  • Subcooled and saturated flow boiling
  • Boiling crises
  • Post-boiling-crisis heat transfer
  • Condensation
• Thermal design and analysis methodologies:
  • Transient analysis (Single channel)
  • Loop analysis
  • Multiple channel analysis
  • Subchannel analysis
  • Treatment of uncertainties

Texts

Collier, J. G., and J. R. Thome. Convective Boiling and Condensation. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1996. ISBN: 9780198562962.

Todreas, N. E. and M. S. Kazimi. Nuclear Systems. Vol. 2. New York, NY: Francis & Taylor, 1990. ISBN: 9781560320791.

Students may wish to consult other useful references listed in the readings section.

Prerequisites

2.006, 10.302, 22.312 or permission of instructor.

Grading

Homework and Reading Assignment Practices

• Units: You are to conform to recommended engineering practice by using units based on the International System (SI).
• In writing your answers, it is important that you supply enough information to show how you have solved the problem. It is not necessary to repeat derivations already given in enough detail in the text or lectures.
• It is considered acceptable for you to work completely independently; consult the instructor; and/or work with other students. However, do not adopt your solution directly from any outside source without being sure that you understand both concepts and calculations. Points may be deducted if it appears that you do not understand.
• Computer usage: most homework problems are best solved using MATLAB®, Mathcad® or other computer programs.
• Late solutions: Solutions submitted after the due date will receive no more than 50% credit. An all-student relaxation of this rule may be announced in class for some problems.

Calendar