Numerical Simulation Research on the Vibration of Helical Tube Arrays under Transverse Flow

Abstract

Helical tube steam generators are often used in nuclear power plants because of their compact structure and high heat transfer efficiency. The impact of the internal fluid causes the vibration of the tube bundle, which leads to the failure of the integrity of the safety structure. Aiming at flow-induced vibration (FIV) of helical tube arrays, a finite element model of the helical tube was established to consider the constraint of the support structure. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD)/computational structural dynamics (CSD) coupling calculation method based on the superposition of three modes was used to study the FIV characteristics of helical tube arrays at different flow velocities. The influence of adjacent helical tubes’ vibration on the vibration of the target tube was also investigated. The results show that when FIV occurs in the helical tube, with the increase of inlet velocity, the axial amplitude will be greater than the radial at the same velocity. When some tubes vibrate, the vibration of the target tube will be enhanced; while adjacent tubes vibrate, it will weaken the impact of the fluid on the target tube and obviously weaken the vibration of the target tube.

Keywords

• helical tube steam generator
• flow-induced vibration
• mode superposition
• CFD/CSD coupling