Technical Papers and Presentations

The High Flux Isotope Reactor, located at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is scheduled to undergo a conversion of the fuel used and this proposed change requires an extensive analysis of the flow through the reactor core. The core consists of approximately 500 very thin and long fuel plates through which the coolant (water) flows at a very high rate.

Therefore, the design and the flow conditions make the plates prone to dynamic and static deflections, which may result in flow blockage and structural failure which in turn may cause core meltdown. To investigate the coolant flow between fuel plates and associated structural deflections, the FSI interface will be used. Flow induced flutter and static deflections will be examined.