Seismic modeling and simulation of the graphite core in gas-cooled micro-reactor

• Published in: Nuclear engineering and design 2025-01, Vol.431, p.113714, Article 113714
• Main Authors: Lan, Tianbao, Peng, Xingming, FengSheng, Tan, Wei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Damping; Graphite; Graphite core; Seismic resistance; Stiffness; Stress analysis
• ISSN: 0029-5493
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nucengdes.2024.113714

•The numerical model of a horizontally laid out gas-cooled micro-reactor was simplistically established and evaluated.•A collision test was conducted to determine the appropriate stiffness and damping values for the rigid body model.•A simple method for parameter identification is used to obtain the stiffness and damping parameters through collision tests.•The stress assessment was conducted to evaluate the graphite core using a probabilistic failure model. To evaluate the structural safety of the graphite core in a gas-cooled micro-reactor and to assess its structural response under seismic loads, a study was conducted. By comparing the acceleration and velocity curves obtained from small-sized graphite block collision experiments and collision simulations, it was determined that the simulation results accurately represent the real collision behavior of graphite blocks. The collision stiffness and damping parameters were derived from these curves. Subsequently, simulations of graphite components in the core were performed to establish the stiffness and damping parameters of the graphite blocks, which were then incorporated into the core analysis calculations. To validate the accuracy of the core numerical model and simplify the vibration form, the core model was divided into in-plane and axial models. A full-core model calculation was then carried out to determine the forces between graphite components. The final results confirm that the graphite core adheres to the ASME design specifications under seismic loads.