A Homogenization Method for the Modal Analysis of a Nuclear Reactor With Fluid-Structure Interaction

The present paper exposes a homogenization method developed in order to perform the modal analysis of a nuclear reactor with fluid-structure interaction effects. The homogenization approach is used in order to take into account the presence of internal structures within the pressure vessel. A homogenization method is proposed in order to perform a numerical calculation of the frequencies and modal masses for the eigenmodes of the coupled fluid-structure problem. The technique allows the use of a simplified fluid-structure model that takes into account the presence of internal structures: the theory bases are first recalled, leading to a new formulation of the fluid-structure coupled problem. The finite element discretization of the coupled formulation leads to the modification of the classical fluid-structure interaction operators. The consistency of the formulation is established from a theoretical point of view by evaluating the total mass of the coupled system with the fluid and structure mass operator, and the modified added mass operator. The method is tested and validated on a 2D case (two concentric cylinders with periodical rigid inclusions within the annular space) and applied on the industrial case. A complete modal analysis (calculation of frequencies and modal masses) is performed on a simplified geometry of a nuclear reactor with and without internal structures. Numerical results are then compared and discussed, and the influence of the internal structures on the fluid-structure coupled phenomenon is highlighted.