Computation of Fluid Thrust Force From the Pressure Release Tank of Nuclear Power Plant Pressurizer

Pressure release tank is a key component of nuclear power plant safeguard. Evaluating the fluid thrust force against nearby structures from high pressure and high temperature flow jet under postulated accidents is an essential task for nuclear system design and safety estimation. In this work, flow jet impingement from pressure release tank to nearby building roof is computed via a two-stage strategy. First, the 1-dimensional RELAP5 code is applied to estimate thermal-hydraulic conditions at pressure release tank outlet. The thermal-hydraulic computational model includes key components of pressure release tank and its connection to the pressurizer. Based upon the thermal-hydraulic estimation at the pressure release tank outlet, detailed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation is performed with full considerations of how flow thrust is applied on nearby structures. The two-stage computational strategy provides a practical paradigm of fluid thrust force estimation for industrial applications.