Abstract: Sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) is one of important type in the fourth-generation advanced nuclear energy system. The primary system of SFR adopts the layout of loop-type or pool-type. Pool-type SFR is equipped with more complex structures, but has a larger safety margin with higher safety. Flow in pool-type SFR features the characteristics of multi-scale, complex space, multi-path and three-dimensional (3D) flow, which brings some difficulties for calculation, analysis and experiment. At present, there are few experimental data for pool-type SFR, and the traditional system analysis code is difficult to reflect the three-dimensional characteristics of multi-path and complex flow heat transfer process in the reactor. In recent years, with the rapid development of computational fluid dynamics (CFD), researchers have carried out overall three-dimensional numerical simulation and refined computational analysis of key equipment or local areas for pool-type SFR. In the present work, the research of three-dimensional numerical simulation on flow and heat transfer characteristics in complex space of pool-type SFR was reviewed combined with the recent research achievements of the authors’ research team. For the integrated simulation of whole reactor, three-dimensional temperature distributions and transient variations of key thermal parameters under typical symmetric/asymmetric conditions of pool-type SFR are obtained, and the residual heat removal capacity is evaluated. For the simulation of key internals and local regions, refined three-dimensional flow and heat transfer characteristic parameters can be obtained, which also provide key input for integrated simulation of whole reactor. The relevant researches provide important numerical support for the safety, stable operation and design optimization of pool-type SFR.