FRICTION FORCES AND FRETTING WEAR IN REACTOR CORE BARREL COUPLINGS

Abstract eng:
The couplings key-groove between the lower part of core barrel and reactor pressure vessel in the nuclear VVER-type reactors show small assembling side clearances. Due to fretting wear the potential for increasing of the clearances exist. Reactor vibrations, caused by coolant pressure pulsations generated by main circulation pumps, produce impulse contact forces in the above mentioned couplings. These forces are used for calculation of friction forces in the slipping contact surfaces between the key and the groove and for their fretting wear prediction. Increasing of the clearances leads to decreasing of some reactor frequencies. Their changes present good tool for the interpretation of diagnostic measurements. The computational method with numerical results applied on VVER1000 type reactor is shown.

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