Pressure drops in nuclear thermal-hydraulics: Principles, experiments, and modelling - Chapter 8

Pressure drops and heat transfer are of main concern in system thermal-hydraulics. This reflects in the importance of related modeling and results of system code application to the prediction of accident scenarios in Nuclear Power Plants. Although pressure drops and heat transfer constitute key parts of the modeling for system thermal-hydraulic codes, discussed in Chapters 5 and 9 of the book, special devoted chapters are foreseen, namely Chapter 7 and current chapter dealing with heat transfer and pressure drop, respectively. Pressure drop models are characterized by a long history dated since the beginning of previous century as discussed in Chapter 2 of the book and outlined in this chapter. Furthermore, pressure drops directly affect the phenomena and the accident scenarios discussed in Chapters 6 and 15 of the book. The discussion in this chapter shall be seen as complementary and linked to what discussed in those chapters. Qualification is discussed in Chapter 13 of the book and directly includes pressure drop models.