Modeling Considerations for the Analysis of LMFBR Steam Generator Tube Clamps

In the design of the Babcock & Wilcox Helical Coil Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) Steam Generator, the tube bundle is connected to the feedwater and steam plenums via “inlet/outlet tubes”. Of prime importance in the design of these tubes is the tube-to-tube and tube-to-shell clamps which are provided to prevent detrimental vibration. This paper presents a method of modeling the tube-to-tube clamps to accurately predict tube-to-clamp interaction in the finite element analysis. It is also the objective of this paper to demonstrate the validity of specific modeling assumptions in determining stresses in the clamp assembly. As this paper deals only with the analytical approach taken, no detailed results are presented.