Numerical analyses of flow distributions in nuclear fuel assemblies affected by grid deformations

• Deformed spacer grid of a fuel assembly restricts coolant flow.
• CFD analyses are conducted to assess flow redistribution and recovery.
• Flow field is analyzed for normal operation, blowdown and reflood phases.
• Forty-five times hydraulic diameter is required to recover 95% of flow rate.

In the event of a safety shutdown earthquake (SSE) in a nuclear power plant, the spacer grid of the fuel assembly will be deformed as a result of the vibrations. If the flow area in a subchannel is reduced due to the grid deformation, the coolant flow will be restricted and consequently a loss of flow occurs in the affected fuel assembly during the accident. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses are conducted in order to assess the flow redistribution and flow recovery in fuel assemblies. The real geometries of an outer grid and mixing vane are used in the simulation, and the region including the inner grid is modeled as a porous media zone. The resistance coefficients of the porous media model are determined using CFD analyses. The Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equation with a non-linear turbulence model was used to solve the three-dimensional anisotropic turbulence flow in the rod bundles during normal operation, blowdown, and reflood phases following a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA). In these analyses, it is assumed that forty percent of the flow area is blocked by grid deformations. The results demonstrate that a downstream distance of 45 times the hydraulic diameter is required for the coolant flow to recover to 95% of the original flow rate in the affected fuel assembly.