CFD evaluation on the thermohydraulic characteristics of tube support plates in steam generator

The integrity and thermal hydraulic characteristics of steam generator are of great concern in the nuclear industry. The tube support plates (TSP), one of the most important components of the steam generator, not only support the heat transfer tubes, but also affect the flow dynamic and thermal hydraulic characteristics of the secondary-side flow inside the steam generator. Different working conditions, ranging from single-phase adiabatic condition to two-phase high-void boiling condition, are simulated and analyzed. Calculated void fraction, under simple geometry, agrees well with the experiment data whilst the simulated heat transfer coefficient is tremendously close to the empirical correlation. Temperature, void fraction, and velocity distributions in different locations show reasonable distribution. The simulation results indicate that TSP can enhance the heat transfer in the secondary side of the steam generator. On the top of TSP, with the increase in cross-section flow area, the back-flow phenomenon occurs, which might lead to the contamination of precipitation.