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Numerical prediction of flow induced vibrations in nuclear reactor applications

  • E. Ter Hofstede
  • , A. Shams
  • , A. Van Zuijlen

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Flow induced vibration (FIV) plays an important role in nuclear industry. In nuclear power plants (NPP), FIV may cause fatigue problems, stress corrosion cracking, possible failure modes and fretting wear. In return, this can lead to nuclear safety issues and substantial stand-still costs due to unplanned outage. The demand for an increase in power density of future designs for nuclear reactors often results in the increase of coolant flow velocities or a change of cooling liquid. These changes may alter the flow behavior, which can lead to fluid elastic instability. It is therefore important to asses this phenomenon early in the design process. Most of the experimental studies that have been performed are often simplified or only cover a single operation condition. Numerical methods can play an important role in analyzing complex industrial applications. To gain confidence in the available numerical methods, their validation is an important step that needs to be taken. In the present paper, such a validation study is performed on the used computational methods in Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) for nuclear plant applications. A partitioned approach is used, in which the exchanges between the fluid and structure solver take place through the use of the Interface Quasi Newton with Inverse Jacobian from a Least Squares (IQN-ILS) coupling scheme. Two different reference databases are used for this validation procedure. The first one is the numerical benchmark case of Turek. In this reference case, the deformation of an elastic flap, attached to a solid cylinder is studied This case is well suited to validate the used coupling methods for applications with large structural deformations, and strong interaction. The second one is an experiment, performed by Vattenfall, where the damping of the flow along an excited (vibrating) slender tube is studied. The results of the simulation of the Vattenfall experiment are preliminary and do not include the coupled simulations.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationInternational Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics 2015, NURETH 2015
PublisherAmerican Nuclear Society
Pages7725-7735
Number of pages11
ISBN (Electronic)9781510811843
StatePublished - 2015
Externally publishedYes
Event16th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics, NURETH 2015 - Chicago, United States
Duration: 30 Aug 20154 Sep 2015

Publication series

NameInternational Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics 2015, NURETH 2015
Volume9

Conference

Conference16th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics, NURETH 2015
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityChicago
Period30/08/154/09/15

Keywords

  • Computational fluid dynamics
  • Fluid structure interaction
  • Nuclear reactor
  • Strong coupling

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Instrumentation
  • Nuclear Energy and Engineering

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