2 - Transport phenomena in nuclear reactors

Abstract

In this chapter, the governing equations that need to be solved for properly describing the behaviour of the core of nuclear reactors are presented. First, the different fields of physics that need to be tackled are presented. These fields are neutron transport, heat transfer and fluid dynamics. The multi-physics and multi-scale aspects, which represent a specific feature of nuclear systems, are touched upon. The governing equations for neutron transport, heat transfer and flow transport are then derived from first principles. An overview of the various modelling strategies, together with their respective advantages and disadvantages, is thereafter given. Finally, special emphasis is put on macroscopic methods, since such methods are routinely used to determine the behaviour of nuclear reactors, and as such are the methods presented in detail in this book.