An approach for modelling CANDU Fuel string vibration induced by unsteady flow

A comprehensive dynamical model is presented in this paper to handle vibration a string of 12 CANDU6 fuel bundles inside a pressure tube under operating conditions. A finite element based computer program is developed at Ryerson University in collaboration with Candu Energy Inc. to simulate fuel string vibration and vibration induced wear in the pressure tube. The focus of this paper is dynamic frictional contact among fuel elements via spacer pads, between fuel elements and the pressure tube via bearing pads, and between neighboring fuel bundles via endplates. The types of deformations are bending, torsion and axial for the fuel elements, and in-plane and out-of-plane bending for the endplates. The system equations of motion are discretized in the time-domain by means of the Bozzak-Newmark scheme; the contact problem is handled using an iterative LCP algorithm. The unsteady flow and flow induced excitations are obtained using the FLUENT-LES. (author)