Non-Linear Damping Identification in Nuclear Systems Under External Excitation

Abstract

In Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) the fluid-structure interaction between the coolant and fuel assemblies is an important phenomenon that is directly associated to safety and performance issues for the nuclear industry. Fuel assemblies are formed by bundling fuel rods, long slender pressurized tubes containing uranium pellets, with hollow guide and instrumentation tubes using a number of spacer grids for support. In order to correctly simulate the response of a fuel assembly under external excitation, an investigation of the system damping is necessary. Recent study shows that the damping may grow significantly with the vibration amplitude, increasing the safety factor. In order to address this issue, the present study has developed a tool to identify the vibration characteristics of non-linear mechanical systems from experimental forced vibration data obtained at different excitation levels. In particular, this project focuses on the damping identification. A parameter identification methodology for non-linear systems, based on harmonic balance method, is used to identify the damping governing the motion of such systems. The tool has been developed by using hardening non-linear responses of two sandwich panel and a metal plate subjected to external harmonic excitation. The method has been validated by comparison with the damping identified by the full non-linear model of the two sandwich panels. In the three cases, an increase of damping with the vibration amplitude is found and discussed.