Structural design and analysis of EAST TCWS pipeline

Abstract

EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) Tokamak Cooling Water System (TCWS) provides cooling and baking functions to the in-vessel component and vacuum vessel of the tokamak. A section of high stiffness pipes in the system is difficult to compensate for the reaction from thermal expansion caused by high temperature nitrogen baking operation. Under seismic loads, additional acceleration may have serious impact on piping network and produce more complex reactions to equipment.This paper describes EAST Tokamak Cooling Water System (TCWS) system layout design, piping support design, methodology and results of pipe stress analysis. The sustained and occasional load responses of piping network are analyzed, natural frequencies of the Baking system pipes are calculated. The calculation results are verified by the experimental data pipeline displacement at 200°C. The process piping code ASME B31.3 is used for pipe stress analysis. The least available stress margin is 7% and the calculated stresses are in acceptable limit. The maximum displacement of the pipeline is within the requirements of the spatial layout. The results would be used in further loop optimization and analysis of fire case.