Dynamic frictional contact of a viscoelastic beam
In this paper, we study the dynamic frictional contact of a viscoelastic beam with a deformable obstacle. The beam is assumed to be situated horizontally and to move, in both horizontal and tangential directions, by the effect of applied forces. The left end of the beam is clamped and the right one is free. Its horizontal displacement is constrained because of the presence of a deformable obstacle, the so-called foundation, which is modelled by a normal compliance contact condition. The effect of the friction is included in the vertical motion of the free end, by using Tresca's law or Coulomb's law. In both cases, the variational formulation leads to a nonlinear variational equation for the horizontal displacement coupled with a nonlinear variational inequality for the vertical displacement. We recall an existence and uniqueness result. Then, by using the finite element method to approximate the spatial variable and an Euler scheme to discretize the time derivatives, a numerical scheme is proposed. Error estimates on the approximative solutions are derived. Numerical results demonstrate the application of the proposed algorithm.
A quasi-static Signorini contact problem for a thermoviscoelastic beam
This paper is concerned with the existence, uniqueness and numerical solution of a system of equations modelling the evolution of a quasi-static thermoviscoelastic beam that may be in contact with two rigid obstacles. A finite element approximation is proposed and analysed and some numerical results are given.
Numerical tools applied to power reactor noise analysis
In order to be able to calculate the space- and frequency-dependent neutron noise in real inhomogeneous systems in two-group theory, a code was developed for the calculation of the Green's function (dynamic transfer function) of such systems. This paper reports on the development as well as the test and application of the numerical tools employed. The code that was developed yields the space-dependence of the fluctuations of the neutron flux induced by fluctuating properties of the medium in the two-group diffusion approximation and in a two-dimensional representation of heterogeneous systems, for both critical systems and non-critical systems with an external source. Some applications of these tools to power reactor noise analysis are then described, including the unfolding of the parameters of the noise source from the induced neutron noise, measured at a few discrete locations throughout the core. Other concrete applications concern the study of the space-dependence of the Decay Ratio in Boiling Water Reactors, the noise-based estimation of the Moderator Temperature Coefficient of reactivity in Pressurized Water Reactors, the modeling of the beam- and shell-mode core-barrel vibrations in Pressurized Water Reactors, and the investigation of the validity of the point-kinetic approximation in subcritical systems driven by an external source. In most of these applications, calculations performed using the code are compared with at-power plant measurements. Power reactor noise analysis applications of the above type, i.e. core monitoring without disturbing plant operation, is of particular interest in the framework of the extensive program of power uprates worldwide.