Modelling the fluid structure interaction produced by a waterhammer during shutdown of high-pressure pumps Original Research Article

Measurements of an experiment in a pipe system with pump shutdown and valve closing have been performed in the nuclear power plant KRB II (Gundremmingen, Germany). Comparative calculations of fluid and structure including interaction show an excellent agreement with the measured results. Theory and implementation of the fluid structure interaction (FSI) and the results of the comparison are described. The following measurements have been compared with calculations: (1) experiments in Delft, Netherlands to analyse the FSI; and (2) experiment with pump shutdown and valve closing in the nuclear power plant KRB II has been performed. It turns out, that the consideration of the FSI is necessary for an exact calculation of ‘soft’ piping systems. It has significant application in current waterhammer problems. For example, water column closure, vapour collapse, check valve slamming continues to create waterhammers in the energy industry. An important consequence of the FSI is mostly a significant increase of the effective structural damping. This mitigates—so far in all KED’s calculations the FSI has taken into account—an amplification of pipe movements due to pressure waves in resonance with structural eigenvalues. To investigate the integrity of pipe systems pipe stresses are calculated. Taking FSI into account they are reduced by 10–40% in the actual case.