Modelling of Aquitaine II pipe whipping test with EUROPLEXUS fast dynamics code

To validate the modelling of multi-physics phenomena with EUROPLEXUS code we considered a pipe whipping problem occurring in thermal hydraulic conditions of a Loss of Coolant Accident in PWR primary circuit. Two numerical fluid-structure interaction (FSI) models, a simplified 'pipe-like' model and a mixed 1D/3D model, were used to simulate both the conditioning phase and a phase of whipping. The results of calculations were compared with existing experimental data. Analysis of numerical results shows that both models give a good prediction of global behaviour of the coupled fluid-structure system, namely for pipe displacements and stresses in the pipe walls, as well as for pressure and velocity in the fluid. By comparison with experimental data, we show that only the mixed EUROPLEXUS model, where the pipe elbow is discretized with shells, allows us to estimate correctly the time history and maximum value of the contact force between the pipe and the obstacle. The 1D model with reduced kinematics (rigid cross section hypothesis) does not allow the correct detection of contact phenomenon. This study shows that the use of mixed numerical models containing simplified and totally 3D parts duly interconnected allows a very efficient and CPU inexpensive numerical analysis which is able to take into account different global and local physical phenomena. (author)