Applicability of ANSYS ELBOW290 Element for Flexibility Calculation of Tight Radius Bends on Feeder Pipes in CANDU Reactors

Abstract

A curved pipe element, ELBOW290, became available in ANSYS®12. This element was developed based on a simplified shell theory, and maintains the ability to capture cross-sectional deformations of elbows. Numerical testing on the applicability of this element for the flexibility calculation of the tight radius bends in CANDU®reactors is carried out to determine the usability of this element in completing stress analyses for feeder pipes. Comparisons are made between the ELBOW290 and the shell element for various feeder bend types found in domestic and overseas CANDU reactors. The comparisons show that the ELBOW290 element is suitable for calculating the flexibility of the tight radius bends.