Sensitivity Studies of Calandria Tube Integrity in the Event of Pressure Tube Failures

Abstract

The issue of calandria tube integrity in the event of a sudden pressure tube failure is examined by considering the response of the calandria tube to the transient over-pressure in the annulus. A detailed sensitivity study of the main parameters influencing the calandria tube response is presented based on the results obtained using a small computer code (FSTI). The details of the code validation are also included. The application of the code to Pickering NGS A and Bruce NGS A reactors case indicates that the calandria tube can withstand the transients with a large strength margin.