Regular Article

Structural integrity assessment and stress measurement of chasnupp-1 fuel assembly skeleton: under tensile loading condition

Directorate General Nuclear Power Fuel, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, P. O Box No. 1847, Islamabad, Pakistan

^* e-mail: wazim_me@hotmail.com

Received: 29 November 2016
Received in final form: 24 May 2017
Accepted: 15 November 2017
Published online: 12 December 2017

Abstract

Fuel assembly (FA) structure without fuel rods is called FA skeleton which is a long and flexible structure. This study has been made in an attempt to find the structural integrity of the Chashma Nuclear power plant-1 FA skeleton at room temperature. The finite element (FE) analysis has been performed using ANSYS, in order to determine the elongation of the FA skeleton as well as the location of max. stress and stresses developed in axial direction under tensile load of 9800 N or 2 g being the FA handling or lifting load [Y. Zhang et al., Fuel Assembly Design Report, SNERDI, China, 1994]. The FE model of grids, guide thimbles with dash-pots and flow holes has been developed using Shell 181. It has been observed that FA skeleton elongation values obtained through FE analysis and experiment are comparable and show linear behaviors. Moreover, the values of stresses obtained at different locations of the guide thimbles are also comparable with the stress values of the experiment determined at the same locations through strain gauges. Therefore, validation of the FE methodology is confirmed. The values of stresses are less than the design limit of the materials used for the grid and the guide thimble. Therefore, the structural integrity criterion of CHASNUPP-1 FA skeleton is fulfilled safely.