Advanced multi-dimensional method for structural and hydrodynamic analyses of LMFBR piping systems

Maintaining the structural integrity of the piping system of Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors (LMFBRs) is essential to the safe operation of the reactor and steam supply systems. In the safety analysis various transient loads can be imposed on the piping systems, which may pose threats to the integrity of the piping structure. These transient loads can be classified into two categories. The first represents dynamic loads resulting from the hydrodynamic pressure-wave propagation or seismic events. The second represents static or quasi-dynamic loads generated by thermal wave propagation, normal operation transient, or creep phenomena. At Argonne National Laboratory, a multi-dimensional method has been developed for the integrated analysis of piping systems under these transient loading conditions. It utilizes a 2-D implicit finite-difference hydrodynamics in conjunction with a 3-D explicit finite-element structural analysis