Phase-Change Heat Transfer and Thermal-Hydraulics for Advanced Nuclear Systems

Submission Deadline: 30 June 2026 View: 82 Submit to Special Issue

Guest Editors

Dr. Mu Du

Email: dumu@sdu.edu.cn

Affiliation: Institute for Advanced Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China

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Research Interests: micro-nano scale heat transfer, phase-change heat transfer; advanced nuclear power systems

Dr. Ersheng You

Email: youersheng@126.com

Affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Nuclear Reactor Technology, Nuclear Power Institute of China, Chengdu, China

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Research Interests: experimental heat transfer, interfacial contact heat conduction and enhanced heat transfer technologies, CFD simulations, alkali-metal heat pipes research and development

Dr. Ducheng Sun

Email: sundc@sdu.edu.cn

Affiliation: School of Nuclear Science, Energy and Power Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, China

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Research Interests: thermal-hydraulic and safety analysis of nuclear reactors, research on advanced energy conversion systems, mechanism and experimental studies of two-phase flow

Dr. Xuankai Zhang

Email: 4118003156@sdu.edu.cn

Affiliation: Institute for Advanced Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China

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Research Interests: enhanced heat and mass transfer, steel metallurgy, arc plasma, battery thermal management and thermal runaway

Summary

In the global drive toward a decarbonized energy future, Advanced Nuclear Systems, encompassing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), Micro-Reactors (MRs), Generation-IV reactors, and space nuclear power and propulsion systems, stand as a foundational technology. These next-generation platforms offer substantial improvements in safety, economic viability, and operational flexibility. Yet their defining attributes, including higher power densities, compact core designs, and dependence on passive safety mechanisms, introduce unprecedented thermal-hydraulic hurdles that must be addressed to unlock their full potential.

This Special Issue aims to bridge the longstanding gap between fundamental phase-change physics and applied nuclear engineering practice. We seek high-impact submissions that tackle core thermal management and safety challenges across the full spectrum of advanced nuclear systems, spanning terrestrial SMRs to aerospace nuclear power and propulsion. In these domains, demands for reliability, autonomous operation, and performance under extreme or unique environments (e.g., microgravity, transient conditions) are non-negotiable.

We invite high-quality, original research articles and comprehensive review papers focused on theoretical breakthroughs, experimental innovations, and numerical method developments in the field.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Advanced Phase-Change Heat Transfer Technology.
- Space Nuclear Power & Propulsion.
- Passive Safety System.
- Heat Pipe Technology.
- Boiling and Two-Phase Flow Fundamentals.
- Reactor-Scale Thermal-Hydraulics.
- Advanced Modeling and Simulation.
- Data-Driven & AI Applications for nuclear systems.

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