• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.2120-2130
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• 2024

This study significantly reduced the seismic analysis time of PCSG assembly by introducing a reduced model using homogenization and sub-structuring methods. The homogenization method was applied to the primary and secondary micro-channel sheets, and the sub-structuring method was applied to the PCSG module sets. Modal analysis and frequency response analysis were then performed to validate the accuracy of the reduced model. The analysis results were compared with the full model and it was confirmed that the reduced model provided almost the same analysis results as the full model. To verify the computational efficiency of the reduced model, the computational time was then compared with the full model, and it was confirmed that the modal analysis time was reduced by 3.42 times and the frequency response analysis time was reduced by 4.59 times.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.1365-1381
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• 2023

In this paper, a procedure for evaluating the structural integrity of the PCSG (Printed Circuit Steam Generator) unit block is presented with a simplified FE (finite element) analysis technique by applying the homogenization method. The homogenization method converts an inhomogeneous elastic body into a homogeneous elastic body with same mechanical behaviour. This method is effective when the inhomogeneous elastic body has repetitive microstructures, and thus the method was applied to the sheet assembly among the PCSG unit block components. From the method, the homogenized equivalent elastic constants of the sheet assembly were derived. The validity of the determined material properties was verified by comparing the mechanical behaviour with the reference model. Thermo-mechanical analysis was then performed to evaluate the structural integrity of the PCSG unit block, and it was found that the contact region between the steam header and the sheet assembly is a critical point where large bending stress occurs due to the temperature difference.