The consequences of expansion joint bellows failure

Conference · Sun Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993

OSTI ID:10179142

Miller, R F; Daugherty, W L

Expansion joint (EJ) bellows are thin walled, flexible components of a piping system. As such, they usually are the weakest structural link in the pressure boundary from a failure probability perspective. Previously, a 360{degrees}, circumferential rupture of a bellows was conservatively assumed to cause bellows collapse due to internal pressure resulting in a double-ended guillotine break (DEGB) and the associated, large leak rate. A finite element analysis was performed to determine the structural response of a ruptured bellows and its ability to resist large opening areas and hence, large leak rates. The results show that a 360{degrees} break can lead to an opening width of up to 0.7 inch following an instantaneous rupture -- provided the equalizing rings and tie rods remain intact. This would result in an initial leak rate reduction equal to 80% of the previously assumed DEGB flow. The reduced flow rate is less than the water removal system capacity-assuring that flooding will not occur.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 10179142
• Report Number(s): WSRC-MS--93-025; CONF-930702--49; ON: DE93018769
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220600
220900
A CODES
BELLOWS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
EXPANSION JOINTS
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
FLOW RATE
P CODES
PIPES
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
REACTOR SAFETY
RESEARCH
TEST
TRAINING
PRODUCTION
IRRADIATION
MATERIALS TESTING REACTORS
RUPTURES
SPECIAL PRODUCTION REACTORS