Analysis of the steam generator for the GCR-module

The KWU/Interatom HTR-module consists of a reactor and a heat transfer unit. Depending on the possible application, the thermal output of the reactor amounting to between 170 to 200 MW is disconnected using steam generators, steam reformers or helium/helium intermediate heat exchangers. The steam generator is a vessel of a helical tube construction with ascending evaporation and a descending helium flow around the tubes. Coaxial helium backflow is used to cool the pressure vessel shell. The helical tube bundle of the plain tube type consists of tube cylinders which are coiled in opposite directions. The bundle load is supported in the lower cold section. The calculation for the static flow stability curve has shown the necessity for installing the orifice and thus for throttling. This is to prevent an instable flow in the tubes connected in parallel. The tube support system must support the weight of the tubes, dampen or prevent vibration stimulation of the tube and at the same time be constructed in such a way that no inadmissible stresses occur in the tube as a result of impeded thermal expansion. The admissible start-up and shut-down gradients depend on the thermal stresses in the thick-walled components. A parametric study was carried out based on the steam tubesheet geometry. Appropriate attention, commensurate with the importance of the many joints, must be paid to the tube/tubesheet joint. The tube will be secured in the tubesheet using two redundant processes. It is welded in and hydraulically expanded. The plastic analysis of the hydraulic joint shows the spread of the plastic zone in the ligament as the expansion pressure is continually increased. In this way the highest possible expansion pressure is determined and the deformation of the adjacent borehole is calculated. The expansion is carried out using the Balcke-Duerr AG HYTEX process. (author)