Pipe rupture and steam/water hammer design loads for dynamic analysis of piping systems

The design of restraints and protection devices for nuclear Class I and Class II piping systems must consider severe pipe rupture and steam/water hammer loadings. Limited stress margins require that an accurate prediction of these loads be obtained with a minimum of conservatism in the loads. Methods are available currently for such fluid transient load development, but each method is severely restricted as to the complexity and/or the range of fluid state excursions which can be simulated. This paper presents a general technique for generation of pipe rupture and steam/water hammer design loads for dynamic analysis of nuclear piping systems which does not have the limitations of existing methods. Blowdown thrust loadings and unbalanced piping acceleration loads for restraint design of all nuclear piping systems may be found using this method. The technique allows the effects of two-phase distributed friction, liquid flashing and condensation, and the surrounding thermal and mechanical equipment to be modeled. A new form of the fluid momentum equation is presented which incorporates computer generated fluid acceleration histories by inclusion of a geometry integral termed the “force equivalent area” (FEA). The FEA values permit the coupling of versatile thermal-hydraulic programs to piping dynamics programs. Typical applications of the method to pipe rupture problems are presented and the resultant load histories compared with existing techniques.