2.

5 Feeders
2.5.1.1 There are total 306 feeders in the heat transport system. All of them are located
inside an insulation cabinet known as feeder cabinet. The feeders and headers are
symmetrically arranged with respect to the reactor. The direction of coolant flow
is opposite in adjacent channels, and thus the feeders at each face are connected
alternately to the inlet and outlet headers. Feeders are grouped into thirty-nine
banks at each end of the reactor according to their layout and routing arrangement
within the lattice of end fittings on end shield. Each bank includes between five
and nine feeders connecting the channels to the reactor headers.
2.5.1.2 The Primary Heat Transport (PHT) system feeders and headers are designed to
distribute the flow of recirculating primary coolant through the parallel fuel
channels, Steam Generators (SGs) and Primary Coolant pumps (PCPs). It provides
even cooling of the reactor fuel and effective heat transport to the secondary
system with various combinations of SG-PCP units in service.
2.5.2 The thermal power of the 306 fuel channel varies according to the flux
pattern, with a maximum to minimum ratio of approximately 2.13. It is necessary
to match the flow of Heavy Water coolant to the heat generated in each channel to
minimize variation in the outlet coolant temperature. Uniformity in coolant
conditions, consistent with the maximum allowable temperature, is essential as
these are basic parameters in the channel structural design and in the plant
thermodynamic cycle. The flow resistance of feeders is designed to provide an
appropriate flow of coolant to each channel at the rated pressure difference
between the reactor inlet and outlet headers. The hydraulic analysis takes account
of the pressure losses in various components of the channel which include an
orifice element mounted on the end fitting shield plug and also an inconel
restriction orifice in some of the inlet feeders.
The headers are connected to two SG -PCP units on each side of the reactor. The
system is shown schematically in Figure -4.
A venturi flow metering element is mounted in 8 inlet feeders just below the inlet
header. Inlet and outlet feeders corresponding to the flow monitored channels
have one connection each for Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD) elements
for measuring coolant channel differential temperature. These RTDs are
thermowell type. Provision for Channel Temperature Monitoring (CTM) using
`strap-on' type RTDs is made in all the outlet feeders.
Each outlet feeder is provided with two `strap-on' type RTDs which are connected
to the CTM system. Every outlet feeder contains one sampling connection for
radioactivity monitoring, located about 1.186 M below the ROH.