Publications Repository - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

The project contributes to the improved evaluation of the mechanical integrity of the soviet-type VVER-440 reactors especially, to a sensitive early failure detection and to the localization of mechanical damages of reactor components by means of vibration monitoring. For that purpose the mechanical vibration of all primary circuit
components was modelled by finite elements. Modeling was built on the finite element code ANSYS. The interaction between the coolant flowing in the downcomer and the vibrating components has been considered by a fluid-structure element, which describes additional mode selective damping and intertia due to the coolant displacement when the downcomer geometry changes. The calculation model was adjusted using results from experimental vibration investigations. To some extent data from earlier measurements were available. But additionally dedicated experiments had to be performed at original VVERs. Now, the model can be regarded to be widely verified. Mainly it was applied to clarify how hypothetical damages of reactor internals influence the vibration signature of the primary circuit. Such kind of damage simulation is an appropriate means to find sensitive measuring positiones for on-line monitoring and to define physically based threshold values. In principle, the model is even suited to estimate the loads of reactor components which might be imposed by external events (explosion, earthquake).