Voyagaki, Elia ORCID: 0000-0001-9991-3149, Kloukinas, Panos ORCID: 0000-0002-5158-3109, Dietz, Matt, Dihoru, Luiza, Horseman, Tony, Oddbjornsson, Olafur, Crewe, Adam J., Taylor, Colin A. and Steer, Alan (2018) Earthquake response of a multiblock nuclear reactor graphite core: experimental model vs simulations. Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics, 47 (13). pp. 2601-2626. ISSN 0098-8847 (Print), 1096-9845 (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/eqe.3100)

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Abstract

The complex dynamics of a quarter-scale model of a graphite nuclear reactor core, representative of the second generation of British advanced gas-cooled nuclear reactors, is investigated numerically and experimentally. Advanced gas-cooled nuclear reactor cores are polygonal, multilayer, arrays of graphite bricks, with each brick allowed to rock by design relative to each other in accordance with the boundary conditions. A 35 000 DOF, nonlinear finite element model of the core created by Atkins Nuclear, was analysed on a high performance computing facility at the University of Bristol, and a corresponding 8 t physical model, equipped with 3200 data acquisition channels, was built and tested on the University of Bristol 6-DOF shaking table. In this paper, the two models are subjected to a series of (1) synthetic earthquake and (2) idealised harmonic input motions. The experimental data are used to compare and verify the two models and explore the dynamics of the core. A kinematic model of the response is also developed based solely on geometric constraints. The results are presented in the form of response maps and graphs. Important conclusions are drawn as to the dynamics and earthquake response of such systems, which inform numerical model validation. It is found that contrary to the case of a small number of rocking blocks that exhibit highly complex response patterns, the behaviour of the model at hand is both smooth and repeatable. An analogy between the response of the core and that of dense granular matter exhibiting particle interlocking and dilatancy is highlighted.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	earthquake response, finite element modelling, multi-body rocking, nuclear core, shaking table experiment
Subjects:	T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) T Technology > TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Engineering & Science Faculty of Engineering & Science > School of Engineering (ENG)
Last Modified:	26 Jun 2020 09:02
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/24918

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