Thermo-mechanical analysis for SMART steam generator tube

In this paper, the thermal growth analysis and thermal stress analysis have been carried out for the SMART steam generator tube. The steam generator tube is subjected to high thermal loading induced by the temperature difference of the inside secondary coolant and the outside primary coolant. A single tube was modeled by pipe elements in order to investigate thermal growth of the tube in the longitudinal and the radial direction. Steam generator tube can be divided into economizer region, evaporation region, and superheated region. Tube sections for these boundaries have been modeled to analyze the thermal stress distribution. The analysis results have shown that the thermal stress gradient was most severe in the economizer region. These stress distribution acts as thermal fatigue loading since the evaporation boundary oscillates during the operation