Full scale AP1000^® fuel assembly mechanical test under simulated end of life (EOL) condition

In order to address fuel assembly Seismic/LOCA performance with the End-of-Life (EOL) conditions, a detailed computer finite element analysis (FEA) model is needed for in-core fuel assembly impact and stress analyses. To build an accurate FEA model, a series of fuel assembly dynamic parameters need to be generated and calibrated against a set of test results which are obtained under laboratory conditions. The AP1000 EOL test fuel assembly was built by using a set of pre-conditioned grids to simulate the interaction between the fuel rod and the grid rod support features. In addition, the fuel rods were loaded into the fuel assembly skeleton with no gap between the bottom end of the rods and the top surface of the bottom nozzle. A total of six (6) tests were performed to determine the AP1000 fuel assembly static and dynamic characteristics at EOL conditions. Those tests include fuel assembly lateral vibration tests (both forced and free vibration tests), fuel assembly lateral and axial deflection tests, and fuel assembly lateral and axial dynamic impact tests. (author)