Flow-Structure Interaction

in piping systems

Research Area: Flow-Structure Interaction

Flow- and heat transfer phenomena in technical facilities such as nuclear power plants interact strongly with the heat conduction in the metal walls of the flow domain. As a consequence of this steady or unsteady thermal flow-structure interaction distortions or damage of the wall material may occur. In the piping system of thermal power plants turbulent mixing, thermal stratification, transition between flow patterns and leak flows are particularly of interest.

In the context of this research area experimental and numerical research is conducted in the IKE departments Thermo-Fluid Dynamics and Energy Conversion and Heat Transfer in close cooperation with the Material-Testing Institute Stuttgart (MPA). The following experimental facilities are available:

Fluid-Structure (FSI) Experimental Loop



Schematic of the FSI-Loop © Laurien, IKE



Photo of the FSI-Loop © Laurien, IKE

The FSI Experimental Loop, which is located at the MPA, consists of a closed DN80 main branch, which can be heated up to 280 °C at 75 bars and a DN40 side branch, which injects water with 15 °C by a T-junction into the main branch. For the investigation of the inlet and the mixing zones optical access and various measurement techniques are available. The investigations are performed under power-plant typical conditions with plant materials.

MFI (Mixed-Fluid Interaction)-Test Facility



Photo of the MFI-Facility © Laurien, IKE

The MFI facility is made of Plexiglas and consists of two pipes with 70 mm and 36 mm inner diameter, respectively, which are supplied with water from tanks. A density difference between the flows into the T-junction is created by glucose or salt solutions. The facility serves for simplified experiments the test of measurement equipment, which can later be used in the FSI-facility.

Projects:

Experimental Investigations and numerical Simulation of turbulent Flows and Fluid-Structure-Interaction close to welds and cracks (UNSCHRO)

Experimental and numerical investigation on flow phenomena in the mixing region of a T-junction (VERMIT)

Experimental and Numerical Investigations on Thermo-Fluid Dynamics of Flows in a T-junction Piping System (LES T-Junction)

This image shows Eckart Laurien

Eckart Laurien

Prof. Dr.-Ing.

Deputy Executive Director and Head of department TFD

Rudi Kulenovic

Dr.-Ing.

Head of department EW

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