Since its inception Bennett Associates has been involved in
the Power Generation Industry using its expertise in many and varied ways.
As early as 1984 Bennett Associates carried out an investigation
for the then CEGB into the failure of a number of pipe hangers on the PF
(Pulverised Fuel) pipework system at Drax Power Station.
A full report was prepared which highlighted that PF systems can
operate as a mechanism due to the inclusion of Viking Johnson joints which
affect the true distribution of the load to the hangers.
Fatigue failure of detail components was also investigated. As a
result of the report Bennett Associates were commissioned to carry out a
research project to investigate the characteristics of Viking Johnson joints
under all possible combinations of angular and axial movement, loading and
temperature.
Data sets were developed for the hysteresis characteristics of the
joint under all operating conditions.
The results obtained have been used by Bennett Associates in PF
pipework dynamic mechanism analysis using AMP2D, a software program developed by
Nuclear Electric which can be used to accurately predict hanger loads and pipe
deflection.
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