Geometrically and material non-linear analysis of bubble condenser steel structure

In frame of the project funded by the European Commission (EC) through the Phare and Tacis Programmes experimentally investigate the behaviour of the bubble condenser system (BCS) during phenomena induced by postulated design basis accidents (DBA). The bubble condenser steel structure consists of 12 trays. To enable the Bubble Condenser Test Prototype to be representative of the majority of trays and sections, it was decided to model a typical tray. The test results demonstrate the integrity of the standard tray pressure retaining boundary (side wall, face wall, ceiling and bottom) against a differential pressure (30 kPa). The stability of the side wall and the face wall of tray level 12 was not assured for this differential pressure. The thermal-hydraulic tests demonstrate that the maximum differential pressure across the tray walls in the case of Large Break Loss of Coolant Accident (LBLOCA) is 20 kPa. We have got from the experiences the differential pressure in function of time. The results of the approximate calculations showed the effect of nonlinearly. In case of calculation by FEM model we have done the elastic and linear analyses, and calculated with the geometrically and material non-linearity. (author)