SIMULATION OF THERMAL STRATIFICATION IN INLET NOZZLE OF STEAM GENERATOR

Due to thermal hydraulics phenomena, such as thermal stratification, various events occur to the parts of a nuclear power plant during their lifetimes: e.g. cracked and dislocated pipes and thermally fatigued, bent, and damaged supports. Due to the operational characteristics of the parts of the steam generator feedwater inlet horizontal pipe, thermal stratification takes place particularly frequently. However, the thermal stress due to thermal stratification at the steam generator feedwater inlet horizontal pipe was not reflected in the design stage of old plants(Kori Unit No.1, 2, 3 and 4, Yeonggwang Unit No. 1 and 2, and Uljin Unit No. 1 and 2; referred to as old-style power plants hereinafter). Accordingly, a verification experiment was performed for thermal stratification in the horizontal inlet nozzle steam generator of old-style plants. If thermal stratification occurred in the horizontal pipe of an old-style power plant, numerical analysis of the temperature distribution of the pipes and fluids was conducted. The temperature distributions were compared at the curved part of the pipe and the horizontal pipe before and after the installation of the improved thermal sleeves designed to alleviate thermal stress due to thermal stratification. The thermal stress reduction measure was proven effective at the steam generator inlet horizontal pipe and the curved part of the pipe.