Characterization of dynamic loads on the LMFBR rotating shield

The rotating shields structure is a potential weak point of some current designs of primary containment against postulated whole core explosions. The calculation of the effect of transient loads on this structure, resulting from such an explosion, is therefore important in developing a safety case. The transient loads are usually calculated by computer codes such as ASTARTE, SEURBNUK, REXCO or ICECO and the effect of these loads on the structure by a suitable finite element code. Such procedure can be lengthly and costly. The present paper proposed a procedure which allows the consequences of changes in the transient loads, resulting from design changes for example, to be quickly and simply gauged. The load-impulse method of characterizing dynamic response of a structural system is well established. Provided loads with a similar temporal variation are compared, it can be shown that the dynamic response depends on only two features of the load, an average load and a time intregrated load or impulse. The scope of this approach has been extended by Youngdahl who has shown, for structures which deform in a rigid-plastic manner, that complex laoding histories can be equated to a rectangular form of loading, in a precise manner for simple structures and in an approximate manner for more complicated structures. This paper proposes that the failure characteristics of the rotating shields for which extensive plastic deformation is involved, be calculated for rectangular type loadings. The complex transient loadings calculated for various explosions and various changes in the primary vessel design can then be reduced to an equivalent rectangular form and the consequencial response of the shields structure deduced. (orig.)