Theoretical Prediction of the Garter Spring Positions Along the Channels of Some CANDU Reactors

Abstract

We propose a methodology for predicting the positions of the Garter Springs (GS) along the channels of those CANDU Reactors which have suffered displacements of the GS from their design positions. From the experimental location of the GS along some inspected channels we shall be able to predict the localization of the GS in the rest of the channels. We model the GS along a channel as beads along one abacus line (that is to say: hard cores in one dimension.) We use the Statistical Mechanics Theory to get the relationships between the mass distribution and the "external potential" which fully determines that distribution. That allows us to design the mentioned predicting procedure.