Numerical Investigation of Interaction Between Tubes and Loose Supports Caused by Turbulence-Induced Vibration in Steam Generators

The tubes in heat exchangers are usually loosely supported and are vibrated by fluid. The interaction between tubes and supports caused by the fluid induced vibration (FIV) is influenced by different factors. In this work, a finite element code is established to investigate the interaction between tubes and supports. The comprehensive influence of clearance, tube offset and pre-load is studied by analysis of the contact parameters such as contact forces and displacements. The results show that the change of sliding velocity can affect the normal work rate at different the pre-loads and force ratios. The change law of the contact force and normal work rate caused by preload and force ratio differs in different clearances. The offset can affect the normal contact forces and the sliding velocity, and result in the decrease of normal work rate at offset value of 80%. The results of this work can be helpful in the design and further research of heat exchangers especially steam generators.