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Title: Added-mass computation for impellers in nuclear power pumps. Final report. [PWR; BWR]

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5349183

In this investigation, a method has been developed for determining the hydrodynamic mass of the impeller stage of the rotor which accounts for the three-dimensional geometry of the impellers and the effects of the fluid velocity. By using this method, more-accurate calculations of resonant frequencies of the rotor and hence the seal forces can be made. In comparison with previous approaches, two main features have been included: 1) an accurate representation of the shape of the impeller and the pump geometry; and 2) the effects of the velocity of the fluid. Results have been obtained for a prototypical centrifugal nuclear pump. The hydrodynamic masses which are obtained are significantly larger than predicted by commonly-used formulas based on the mass of the entrained fluid or computed by the Fritz formulas. Furthermore, the magnitude of the hydrodynamic mass has been found to depend strongly on the velocity of the working fluid, which indicates that its effects on critical frequencies will depend on the operational speed of the pump.

Research Organization:
Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (USA). Technological Inst.
OSTI ID:
5349183
Report Number(s):
EPRI-NP-3202; ON: DE84920008
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English