In-Plane Fluidelastic Instability Evaluation of Triangular Array Tube Bundle Using Fluid Force Measured Under Steam–Water Two-Phase Flow Condition

Recently, tube-to-tube wear indications of triangular tube bundle steam generators (SGs) caused by fluidelastic instability (FEI) in the in-plane direction of U-bend region (in-plane FEI) have been reported. Several experiments were conducted to investigate the characteristics of in-plane FEI by our research groups. In a series of experiments, particular characteristics of in-plane FEI were found. For example, there are the critical velocity difference between the in-plane and the out-of-plane directions, the difference between straight tube bundle tests and U-bend tube bundle tests, etc. To explain these characteristics, unsteady fluid force acting on tubes were measured. The experimental investigation was conducted under high temperature and high-pressure steam–water flow conditions close to the SGs. Stability analyses were conducted using the measured unsteady fluid forces as inputs. First, stability analyses were done to simulate straight tube bundle tests. Analysis results agreed well with experiments and it could explain the effect on critical velocity trend by number of flexible tubes and directions of vibration. Second, U-tube stability analyses were performed by applying unsteady fluid force coefficients for each location of U-bend tube finite element method (FEM) model. From the results, mechanisms of in-plane FEI were understood.