Experiments on thermal stratification in a piping system dead leg, CFD simulations and structural analyses (TOKE and STIN)

Thermal stratification of hot and cold water in piping system dead legs has been investigated. The work has been done in co-operation between the thermal hydraulic experiments and code validation (TOKE) and the structural integrity (STIN) projects of the FINNUS research programme. The heat transport in the stratification region was studied with temperature measurements, and the response of the structures to the heat loads was investigated with strain gauges. Heat loads on the inner walls of the pipes were calculated with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and transferred to structural analysis for the determination of stresses and strains. The calculations were validated by comparing the results with the experiments. (orig.)