Hot clamp design for LMFBR piping systems

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2929494· OSTI ID:6049349

Kobayashi, T; Tateishi, M ^[1]

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1. Nippon MARC Co., Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

Thin-wall, large-diameter piping for liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) plants can be subjected to significant thermal transients during reactor scrams. To reduce local thermal stresses, an insulated cold clamp was designed for the fast flux test facility and was also applied to some prototype reactors thereafter. However, the cost minimization of LMFBR requires much simpler designs. This paper presents a hot clamp design concept, which uses standard clamp halves directly attached to the pipe surface leaving an initial gap. Combinations of flexible pipe and rigid clamp achieved a self-control effect on clamp-induced pipe stresses due to the initial gap. A 3-D contact and inelastic history analysis were performed to verify the hot clamp concept. Considerations to reduce the initial stress at installation, to mitigate the clamp restraint on the pipe expansion during thermal shocks, and to maintain the pipe-clamp stiffness desired during a seismic event were discussed.

• OSTI ID: 6049349
• Journal Information: Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology; (United States) Vol. 115:1; ISSN JPVTAS; ISSN 0094-9930
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
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Breeding
BREEDER REACTORS
COOLING SYSTEMS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EXPANSION
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
REACTORS
RESTRAINTS
STRESSES
THERMAL EXPANSION
THERMAL SHOCK