MODEL STUDY OF THE PRESSURE DROP RELATIONSHIPS IN A TYPICAL FUEL ROD ASSEMBLY

Technical Report · Sun Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1959

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4268373· OSTI ID:4268373

Berringer, R. T.; Bishop, A. A.

A study was made of hydraulic characteristics of Yankee-type fuel rod assemblies using experimental and analytical methods. Two scale model fuel assemblies utilizing both ferrule and strap type arrangements were constructed and tested at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. Analytical methods using semiempirical relationships are substantiated by experimental results for both the fuel assembly having strap-type spacers and the fuel assembly having cylindrical ferruletype spacers. The experimental pressure drop across the assembly model using either straps or ferrules correlated within 5% of the value calculated by means of equations based on the equivalent diameter concept for flow inside pipes. The individual frictional drops along the rods and across the end plates and straps correlated within 15% of the predicted pressure drops. The indlvidual pressure drops across both the staggered ferrule sections and the full ferrule section correlated to within 17% of the predicted pressure drops. Comparison of the ferrule and the strap pressure drops indicates that the pressure drop across a level of straps was more than four times the pressure drop across a full ferruled section. It is concluded that the analytical methods based on the equivalent diametcr concept can be satisfactorlly used to calculate pressure drops for flow parallel to fuel rod bundles. Experimental tests on this fuel rod configuration with either straps or ferrules indicated no excessive energy losses due to vortex formations. (auth)

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corp. Atomic Power Dept., Pittsburgh
• NSA Number: NSA-13-013100
• OSTI ID: 4268373
• Report Number(s): YAEC-75
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CONFIGURATION
COOLANT LOOPS
EQUATIONS
FRICTION
FUEL ELEMENTS
HYDRAULICS
LIQUID FLOW
LOSSES
MEASURED VALUES
NUMERICALS
PIPES
PLATES
PRESSURE
REACTOR CORE
REACTORS
RODS
VOLUME
WATER COOLANT
YAEC