As part of the license basis of a nuclear boiling water reactor pressure vessel, a sudden loss of coolant accident (LOCA) event needs to be analyzed.  One of the loads that results from this event is a sudden depressurization of the recirculation line.  This leads to an acoustic wave that propagates through the reactor coolant and impacts several structural inside the reactor pressure vessel (RPV). The authors have previously published a PVP paper (PVP2015-45769) which provides a survey of LOCA acoustic loads on boiling water reactor core shrouds.  Acoustic loads re required for structural evaluation of core shrouds; therefore, a defensible load is required.  The previous research compiled plant-specific data that was available at the time.  Since then, additional data has become available which will add to the robustness of the bounding load methodology that was developed.  Furthermore, additional modeling parameters are investigated such as annulus temperature and recirculation outlet nozzle diameter which can be correlated as a function of load which will provide better plant-specific correlations.  Finally, investigations are made regarding the shroud support to RPV weld, which was neglected from the previous study.  This will allow a practitioner a useful method to calculate bounding acoustic loads on all shroud and shroud support welds in the absence of a plant-specific analysis.


Bounding Acoustic Load Development for Boiling Water Reactor Shroud and Shroud Supports

Division / Sponsors: 
Pressure Vessels & Piping (PVP)


Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/PVP/PVP2020/volume/83815

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