Numerical prediction of transient hydraulic loads acting on PWR steam generator tubes and supports during blowdown following a feedwater line break

Abstract

This paper presents a numerical prediction of the transient hydraulic loads acting on the tubes and external supports of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) steam generator (SG) during blowdown following a sudden feedwater line break (FWLB). A simplified SG model was used to easily demonstrate the prediction. The blowdown discharge flow was treated as a flashing flow to realistically simulate the transient flow fields inside the SG and the connected broken feedwater pipe. The effects of the SG initial pressure or the broken feedwater pipe length on the intensities or magnitudes of transient hydraulic loads were investigated. Then predictions of the decompression pressure wave-induced impulsive pressure differential loads on SG tubes and the transient blowdown loads on SG external supports were demonstrated and the general aspects of transient responses of such transient hydraulic loads to the FWLB were discussed.