Review of the tube external condensation heat transfer characteristic of the passive containment cooling system in nuclear power plant

Abstract Following several accidents, designers have paid greater attention to nuclear power plant safety. The passive containment cooling system (PCCS) was first used in third-generation innovative type nuclear power plants to improve safety. In this paper, the basics of the PCCS and its tube external condensation heat transfer characteristic are reviewed. The condensation heat transfer characteristic exerts effects on two categories: the operating and structure parameters. Some empirical correlations are carefully summarized to broaden the heat transfer calculation methods. Research on experiments and empirical correlations revealed that both operating and structure parameters play an important role in the tube external condensation heat transfer characteristic of the PCCS. Moreover, experimental and numerical modeling that highlight investigations of the tube bundle, curved tube and under ocean condition heat transfer characteristic should be explored in future studies.