Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Finite element analysis of high-density polyethylene pipe in pipe gallery of nuclear power plants

  • Shi, Jianfeng (Institute of Process Equipment, Zhejiang University) ;
  • Hu, Anqi (Institute of Process Equipment, Zhejiang University) ;
  • Yu, Fa (Chinaust Group Corporation) ;
  • Cui, Ying (Chinaust Group Corporation) ;
  • Yang, Ruobing (China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd.) ;
  • Zheng, Jinyang (Institute of Process Equipment, Zhejiang University)
  • Received : 2020.03.29
  • Accepted : 2020.08.25
  • Published : 2021.03.25
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Abstract

High density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe has many advantages over metallic pipe, and has been used in non-safety related application for years in some nuclear power plants (NPPs). Recently, HDPE pipe was introduced into safety related applications. The main difference between safety-related and non-safety-related pipes in NPPs is the design method of extra loadings such as gravity, temperature, and earthquake. In this paper, the mechanical behavior of HDPE pipe under various loads in pipe gallery was studied by finite element analysis (FEA). Stress concentrations were found at the fusion regions on inner surface of mitered elbows of HDPE pipe system. The effects of various factors were analyzed, and the influence of various loads on the damage of HDPE pipe system were evaluated. The results of this paper provide a reference for the design of nuclear safety-related Class 3 HDPE pipe. In addition, as the HDPE pipes analyzed in this paper were suspended in pipe gallery, it can also serve as a supplementary reference for current ASME standard on Class 3 HDPE pipe, which only covers the application for buried pipe application.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51842501) and suggestions on pipeline design, selection of load conditions, and seismic testing conditions of HDPE pipeline from Shuilong Ding from China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research.

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