Modeling of Pipe Whip Phenomenon Induced by Fast Transients Based on Fluid–Structure Interaction Method Using a Coupled 1D/3D Modeling Approach

Abstract

The sudden increase in the operating pressure of nuclear power plants (NPPs) is due to the water hammer phenomenon, which tends to produce a whipping effect that causes serious damage to the pipes and their surroundings. The mechanical response of these pipelines under the influence of such fast fluid transients can be estimated using the fluid–structure interaction (FSI) method. The computational time and expense are predominantly dependent on the number of finite elements developed in the model. Hence, an effective modeling technique with limited and efficient nodes and elements is desired to obtain the closest possible results. A coupled 1D/3D finite element modeling approach using the FSI method is proposed to determine the influence of fast transients on the mechanical pipe whipping behavior of gas pipelines in NPPs. The geometric coupled modeling approach utilizes the presence of both the 3D solid elements and the 1D beam elements sharing a local conjunction. The computational model is modelled for a pipe-to-wall impact test scenario taken from the previously conducted French Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique (CEA) pipe whip experiments. The results of displacement, stresses, and impact velocity at the 3D section featuring the elbow are compared for the change in the 3D solid length varied at the juncture of the elbow. The computed results from the Ansys FSI coupling method using the Fluent and Transient Structural modules provides fair validation with the previously conducted experimental results and correlates with the CEA pipe whip tests on pipe-to-wall impact models. Thus, the 1D/3D coupled modeling approach, which minimizes the area of the solid region by constricting it to the impact area with appropriate contact modeling at the junctures, can be considered in the future for decreasing the computational time and the creation of finite elements.