Predictions of critical heat flux using the ASSERT subchannel code for a CANFLEX variant bundle

The ASSERT subchannel code developed by AECL has been applied as a design-assist tool to the advanced CANDU®¹ reactor fuel. Based primarily on the CANFLEX®² fuel bundle, several geometry changes (such as element sizes and pitch-circle diameters of various element rings) were examined to optimize the dryout power and pressure-drop performances of the new fuel. An experiment was performed to obtain dryout power measurements for verification of …