IMPACT ANALYSIS AND TEST FOR THE SPACER GRID ASSEMBLY OF A NUCLEAR FUEL ASSEMBLY

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (09n11) ◽  
pp. 1228-1234 ◽  
Author(s):  
KEE-NAM SONG ◽  
SANG-HOON LEE ◽  
SOO-BUM LEE
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Assembly ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Impact Analysis ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Lateral Loads ◽  
Spacer Grid ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Assembly ◽  
Crush Strength ◽  
Good Agreement

A spacer grid assembly is one of the main structural components of the nuclear fuel assembly for a Pressurized light Water Reactor (PWR). The spacer grid assembly supports and aligns the fuel rods, guides the fuel assemblies past each other during a handling and, if needed, sustains lateral seismic loads. The ability of a spacer grid assembly to resist these lateral loads is usually characterized in terms of its dynamic and static crush strengths, which are acquired from tests. In this study, a finite element analysis on the dynamic crush strength of spacer grid assembly specimens is carried out. Comparisons show that the analysis results are in good agreement with the test results to within about a 30 % difference range. Therefore, we could predict the crush strength of a spacer grid assembly in advance, before performing a dynamic crush test. And also a parametric study on the crush strength of a spacer grid assembly is carried out by adjusting the weld penetration depth for a sub-sized spacer grid, which also shows a good agreement between the test and analysis results.

Impact Analysis for the Egg-Crate Structure of a Nuclear Fuel Assembly by Using FEM

2007 ◽  
Vol 353-358 ◽  
pp. 2668-2671
Author(s):  
Kee Nam Song ◽  
Sang Hoon Lee ◽  
Jae Yong Kim
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Assembly ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Impact Analysis ◽  
Lateral Loads ◽  
Spacer Grid ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Assembly ◽  
Buckling Test ◽  
Crush Strength ◽  
Good Agreement

A spacer grid assembly is one of the main structural components of the nuclear fuel assembly of a Pressurized light Water Reactor (PWR). The spacer grid assembly supports and aligns the fuel rods, guides the fuel assemblies past each other during a handling and, if needed, sustains lateral seismic loads. The ability of a spacer grid assembly to resist these lateral loads is usually characterized in terms of its dynamic and static crush strengths, which are acquired from tests. In this study, a finite element analysis on the dynamic crush strength of spacer grid assembly specimens is carried out. Comparisons show that the analysis results are in good agreement with the test results within an 8 % difference range. Therefore, we could predict the crush strength of a spacer grid assembly in advance, before performing the dynamic buckling test. And also a parametric study on the crush strength of a spacer grid assembly is carried out by adjusting the weld penetration depth for a sub-sized spacer grid, which also shows a good agreement between the test and analysis results.

Impact Analysis and Test of the Spacer Grid Assembly for PWRs

2006 ◽  
Vol 326-328 ◽  
pp. 1555-1558
Author(s):  
Kee Nam Song ◽  
Kyung Ho Yoon ◽  
Jae Jun Lee ◽  
Kyung Jin Park
Keyword(s):  
Impact Analysis ◽  
Dynamic Buckling ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Lateral Loads ◽  
Spacer Grid ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Assembly ◽  
Fuel Assemblies ◽  
Buckling Test ◽  
Crush Strength ◽  
Good Agreement

The spacer grid assembly, which is an interconnected array of slotted grid straps and welded at the intersections to form an egg crate structure, is one of the main structural components of the nuclear fuel assembly of a Pressurized light Water Reactor (PWR). The spacer grid assembly supports and aligns the fuel rods, guides the fuel assemblies past each other during handling and, if needed, sustains lateral seismic loads. The ability of the spacer grid assembly to resist the lateral loads is usually characterized in terms of its dynamic and static crush strengths, which are acquired from tests. In this study, dynamic buckling tests and finite element analyses on spacer grid assembly specimens are carried out. Comparisons show that the analysis results are in good agreement with the test results to within an 8 % difference range. Therefore, we could predict the crush strength of a spacer grid assembly in advance before performing the dynamic buckling test.

Study on the Lateral Dynamic Crush Strength of a Spacer Grid Assembly for a LWR Nuclear Fuel Assembly

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 1175-1183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kee-Nam Song ◽  
Sang-Hoon Lee ◽  
Soo-Bum Lee ◽  
Jae-Jun Lee ◽  
Gyung-Jin Park
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Assembly ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Spacer Grid ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Assembly ◽  
Crush Strength

Impact Analysis of a Full Model Doublet-Type Spacer Grid in the Fuel Assembly of a PWR

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. J. Park ◽  
Y. D. Kwon ◽  
G. J. Park ◽  
K. N. Song ◽  
K. H. Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Fuel Assembly ◽  
Impact Analysis ◽  
Impact Load ◽  
Element Model ◽  
Full Model ◽  
Spacer Grid ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Partial Model ◽  
External Impact

A spacer grid is one of the main structural components in the fuel assembly of a Pressurized Light Water Reactor (PWR). It supports fuel rods and maintains geometry from external impact loads. In ICONE10, a paper was published for impact analysis of a partial model spacer grid. A five by five grid model was established and the analysis results were discussed. At this moment, a full model with a sixteen by sixteen grid is analyzed for impact analysis. This grid has a new doublet-type shape. The finite element model with 16×16 grid cells is established for nonlinear analysis. It is composed of inner straps, outer straps, guide thimbles, etc. The model is considered the aspects of welding and the contacts between the components. The critical impact load that leads to plastic deformation is identified. Nonlinear finite element analysis is carried out by a software system called ABAQUS/EXPLICIT. The results are discussed in the context of the previous results from the partial model and incorporation of the analysis results into the design change is discussed.

Finite Element Model to Simulate the Spacer Grid Buckling Characteristics

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youngik Yoo ◽  
Joongjin Kim ◽  
Kyongbo Eom ◽  
Hyeongkoo Kim
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Finite Element Model ◽  
Fuel Assembly ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Grid Cell ◽  
Element Model ◽  
Spacer Grid ◽  
Static Compression ◽  
Fuel Rod ◽  
Nuclear Fuel Assembly

Abstract The purpose of this study is to develop a finite element model that accurately describes the buckling behavior of a spacer grid. The spacer grid is the most important component of a nuclear fuel assembly and supports the fuel rod with a structurally sufficient buckling strength. Therefore, the development of a reliable spacer grid model is essential to evaluate the mechanical integrity of a nuclear fuel assembly. To achieve this objective, a three-dimensional finite element model was proposed to simulate the buckling characteristics and mechanical behavior of a PWR spacer grid. To simulate the exact mechanical properties of the spacer grid cell, the parameter values required for the model were determined by conducting a fuel rod drag test and spacer grid spring/dimple stiffness test. Finally, a spacer grid static compression test and dynamic impact test were performed according to the gap size of the spacer grid cell, and the model was verified by comparing the test and analysis results. The results obtained using the developed spacer grid finite element model agreed well with the mechanical test results, and it was confirmed that both the buckling characteristics and mechanical behaviors of the model were accurately simulated by the proposed model.

Impact Analysis and Test on the Spacer Grid Assembly for PWRs

2005 ◽  
Vol 297-300 ◽  
pp. 1309-1314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kee Nam Song ◽  
Kyung Ho Yoon ◽  
Heung Seok Kang ◽  
Kang Hee Lee
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element Analysis ◽  
Finite Element ◽  
Fuel Assembly ◽  
Impact Analysis ◽  
Dynamic Buckling ◽  
Failure Behavior ◽  
Spacer Grid ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Water Reactors ◽  
Buckling Test

A spacer grid assembly is one of the main structural components of the fuel assemblies of Pressurized light Water Reactors. The spacer grid assembly is structurally required to have enough buckling strength under various kinds of lateral loads acting on the fuel assembly so as to keep the fuel assembly straight. The structural performance of the spacer grid assembly is characterized in terms of its dynamic crush strength, which is usually acquired from the test. In this study, a dynamic buckling test and a finite element analysis on the KAERI designed spacer grid assembly are carried out. The pendulum-type tester was used in the test. In the finite element analysis, we proposed an analysis methodology that could predict the dynamic failure behavior of the spacer grid assembly using a commercial finite element code ABAQUS/explicit with appropriate boundary conditions. As a result of the comparisons, the analysis result is in good agreement with the test result to within a 10% difference range. Therefore, we could predict the dynamic behaviors of a spacer grid assembly in advance before performing the dynamic buckling test.

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