Solid-Body Simulation of the Dynamic Response of an Array of Graphite Bricks

Modern commercial Finite Element Analysis codes are now incorporating contact simulation capabilities of increasing sophistication, but solid models of Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor cores containing tens of thousands of components are still too computationally expensive to be practical for seismic analysis. The performance of the experimental SOLFEC code under development at Glasgow University may make such problems tractable, but its use for AGR seismic assessments will represent a significant advance in the state-of-the-art. As an intermediate target, this paper describes the steps required to analyse the response of a smaller array of 81 core bricks which has previously undergone physical testing. Particular emphasis is given to the data and measurements required to support such analyses.