DROP IMPACT ANALYSIS OF PLATE-TYPE FUEL ASSEMBLY IN RESEARCH REACTOR

In this research, a drop impact analysis of a fuel assembly in a research reactor is carried out to determine whether the fuel plate integrity is maintained in a drop accident. A fuel assembly drop accident is classified based on where the accident occurs, i.e., inside or outside the reactor, since each occasion results in a different impact load on the fuel assembly. An analysis procedure suitable for each drop situation is systematically established. For an accident occurring outside the reactor, the direct impact of a fuel assembly on the pool bottom is analyzed using implicit and explicit approaches. The effects of the key parameters, such as the impact velocity and structural damping ratios, are also studied. For an accident occurring inside the reactor, the falling fuel assembly may first hit the fixing bar at the upper part of the standing fuel assembly. To confirm the fuel plate integrity, a fracture of the fixing bar should be investigated, since the fixing bar plays a role in protecting the fuel plate from the external impact force. Through such an analysis, the suitability of an impact analysis procedure associated with the drop situation in the research reactor is shown.