Physical and Numerical Simulations of Seismic Fluid-Structure Interaction in Advanced Nuclear Reactors

Faizan Ul Haq Mir, Ching-Ching Yu, Andrew S. Whittaker and Michael C. Constantinou

MCEER-22-0002 | 07/08/2022 | 304 pages

Keywords: ALE, LS-DYNA, earthquake-simulator tests, reactor vessels, reactor internals, seismic fluid-structure interaction, seismic isolation

Abstract: This report describes physical and numerical experiments conducted to study seismic fluid-structure interaction, with a focus on liquid-cooled advanced reactors and the use of seismic isolation. The seismic design of advanced reactors will rely on the use of verified and validated numerical models capable of accurately capturing the interactions of the liquid coolant with the enclosing and submerged structural/mechanical components, and the isolation-system responses. Experiments to support validation of such numerical models of advanced reactors, base-isolated and conventionally supported, with a focus on fluid-structure interaction, are described in this report. Specifically, earthquake-simulator experiments generating datasets for: 1) hydrodynamic responses in a conventionally supported, fluid-filled vessel, 2) dynamic responses of components submerged in a conventionally supported vessel, and 3) hydrodynamic and isolation-system responses in a base-isolated, fluid-filled vessel are described. The commercial finite element package LS-DYNA is used for validation studies. The data from the experiments and the results of the validation studies are broadly applicable to the seismic response of liquid-filled vessels and submerged components, regardless of industry sector.