Flow-induced vibration measuremnts of ATR high-burnup fuel assembly

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PNC TN9410 97-013, 111 Pages, 1997/01

PNC-TN9410-97-013.pdf:5.85MB

Since the 54-rod cluster high-burnup fuel assemblies are planing to be loaded in Fugen, it must be confirmed that the mechanical integrity of the assemblies will be retained during the dwelling period in the reactor core. In the integrity verification, the confirmation that fretting wear, which occurs on fuel cladding surface at the contact with the spacer ring-elements, will not exceed the design margin is important. Accurate measurements of the flow-induced vibration characteristics under the hydraulic condition of coolant simulating the reactor core, especially measurements of the vibration amplitude, is necessary because the vibration amplitude directly affects the fretting wear depth. The flow-induced vibration measurements of the 54-rod cluster high-burnup fuels in which accelerometers were installed, were carried out under the various hydraulic conditions in the Component-Test-Loop (CTL). The results of the measurements are discribed in this papers. From the frequency analysis, the characteristic frequency of the fuel was observed around 105 Hz and 160 Hz. This frequency approximately coincided with that estimated by the fretting wear analysis code. The amplitude of flow-induced vibration was increased with increase in total flow rate and steam quality. Though these tendencies coincided with the results calculated by the analysis code, the amplitude measured at the region of low flow rate tended to be large compared with the calculated values. It was confirmed that this difference can be reduced on the safety side by the modification of the equation in the analysis code. The Paidoussis equation is divided into two terms in this modification, in which one term depending on total flow rate and the other term depending on steam quality, and proper coefficients are determined for each term. Though the amplitudes of flow-induced vibration for this fuel were larger than for either of the 28-rod cluster fuel of Fugen and 36-rod cluster fuel of ATR demonstration ...