Advances in Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics and Heat Transfer for Energy Systems
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "B4: Nuclear Energy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 December 2025 | Viewed by 9
Special Issue Editors
Interests: multiphysics modelling and computation; multiphase heat transfer analysis; nuclear reactor safety; advanced nuclear energy system design
Interests: thermal energy storage for nuclear systems; heat and mass transfer in molten salt applications; AI/ML applications in nuclear thermal hydraulics; advanced diagnostics for thermal hydraulics research
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The future of clean and sustainable energy depends heavily on the advancement of next-generation nuclear technologies. Among these, microreactors, small modular reactors (SMRs) and other Generation-IV reactors with advanced design concepts, such as molten salt reactors (MSRs), sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs), and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs), have attracted significant global attention. These technologies offer unique advantages in terms of passive safety, load-following operation, flexible siting, and integration with hybrid energy infrastructures (e.g., energy storage and hydrogen production).
With the evolution of these technologies, there is an urgent need to advance thermal hydraulic design and analysis methodologies. The accurate modelling of fluid dynamics, multiphase heat transfer, and system transients is essential for supporting passive safety systems, load-following capabilities, and energy system integration. In parallel, progress in computational tools, experimental techniques, and data-driven modelling is crucial to improve predictive capabilities and reduce design and licensing uncertainties.
This Special Issue aims at showcasing the latest developments in nuclear thermal hydraulic research that contribute to the advancement of next-generation energy systems. We welcome submissions that address theoretical innovations, experimental investigations, and practical applications relevant to both reactor design and plant operation.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Thermal hydraulic analysis of microreactors, SMRs, and other Gen-IV reactors (MSR, SFR, HTGR, etc.);
- Design and evaluation of passive safety systems for microreactors and SMRs;
- Heat transfer enhancement in advanced reactor systems;
- Transient and accident scenarios (e.g., LOCA, RIA) modelling in microreactors and SMRs;
- Coupled neutronics–thermal hydraulics simulations;
- Multiphase flow, instabilities, and supercritical flow modelling in advanced reactor systems;
- High-fidelity CFD and system-level simulations for nuclear applications;
- Experimental methods and integral test facilities for thermal hydraulic validation;
- Data-driven modelling, machine learning, and AI applications in nuclear thermal hydraulics;
- Heat exchanger and steam generator performance in advanced reactor designs;
- Thermal management in hybrid energy systems (e.g., energy storage, hydrogen production, and desalination).
We look forward to your valuable contributions that will help shape the future of cost-effective, safe, and resilient advanced nuclear energy systems.
Dr. Jee Hyun Seong
Dr. Guanyu Su
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- nuclear thermal hydraulics
- advanced nuclear systems
- generation-IV reactors
- small modular reactors (SMRs) microreactors
- hybrid energy systems
- passive safety systems
- single and multiphase flow and instability
- heat transfer enhancement
- coupled neutronics–thermal hydraulics
- CFD and system codes
- data-driven modeling
- experimental validation
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