A Case Study of Root Cause Analyses and Remedies for High frequency Vibration of Globe Valve in Nuclear Power Plant Piping System

원자력 발전소 배관계 글로브 밸브의 고주파 진동 원인 분석 및 해결 사례

A case history is presented pertaining to high frequency piping vibration and noise caused by globe valve in the spent fuel pool cooling system of nuclear power plant. Frequency analyses were performed on the system to diagnose the problem and develop a solution to reduce the piping vibration and noise. The source of the high frequency and noise energy was traced to the globe valve located immediately downstream of the centrifugal pump by performing valve throttling test. Measurements of vibration and noise are presented to show that the high frequency vibration and noise amplitude was dependent upon the valve disc position and flow rate. Strouhal vortex shedding frequencies were generated at the exit of the globe valve which exited structural resonance of valve disc and amplified the high frequency vibration and noise. The problem was identified as an interaction between the flow inside globe valve and the valve disc structure. Attempts to reduce the vibration and noise amplitudes of the piping system were successfully achieved by the modification of guide-disc diameter and disc-edge figure The valve disc was replaced by an alternative to eliminate the source of the harmful high frequency vibration and noise.