Computational fluid dynamics investigations of the impact of CANDU fuel bundle rotational misalignment on flow behaviour and fuel temperatures

CANDU reactors have fuel channels consisting of 12-13 CANDU fuel bundles, and the rotational angle of each fuel bundle is not controlled when it is loaded into the channel. Coolant behaviour, which may be affected by bundle rotational misalignment, can influence fuel performance; however, the degree of this impact is not yet well understood. This work performed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations with heat transfer using STAR CCM+ on two CANDU 37M fuel bundles with four different rota