This paper is related to fluid-structure interaction analysis of sodium cooled fast reactors core (Na-FBR). Sudden liquid evacuation between assemblies could lead to overall core movements (flowering and compaction) causing variations of core reactivity. The comprehension of the structure behavior during the evacuation could improve the knowledge about some SCRAMs for negative reactivity occurred in PHÉNIX reactor and could contribute on the study of the dynamic behavior of a FBR core. An experimental facility (PISE-2c) is designed composed by a Poly-methyl methacrylate hexagonal rods (2D-plan similitude with PHÉNIX assembly) with a very thin gap between assemblies. Another experimental device (PISE-1a) is designed and composed by a single hexagonal rod for testing the dynamic characteristics. Different experiments are envisaged: free vibrations and oscillations during water injection.
A phenomenological analysis is reported showing the flow behavior in the gap and the structure response. Also computational simulations are presented in this paper. An efficient numerical method is used to solve Navier-Stokes equations coupled with structure dynamic equation. The numerical method is verified by the comparison of analytic models and experiments.
