An experimental program at the University of Pisa provides specific data for the evaluation of heat and mass transfer by falling film evaporation. The problem is addressed primarily because of its relevance to the study of the behavior of passive containment cooling systems in simplified pressurized water reactors. In these plants, after an accident that releases vapor from the primary circuit, the steel containment envelope is cooled either by an ascending stream of air in natural circulation or by the combination of air flow and falling film evaporation. To qualify models for the prediction of the heat transfer capabilities in postulated accident conditions, researchers have built an experimental facility consisting of a flat heated plate with water sprays and a fan to simulate a countercurrent air stream. The range of relevant parameters to be investigated has been determined on the basis of integral calculations performed for the AP600 reactor containment. The facility has enabled the collection of data that confirm the adequacy of the classical heat and mass transfer analogy in predicting evaporation phenomena. Further developments in the research are needed to confirm the first results and to extend the experimental database by considering more subtle aspects of the phenomenon such as the characteristics of surface waviness of the water film and its effect on heat transfer.