Flexible Nozzle - WRC Bulletin 297 Adhere to these requirements when modeling flexible nozzles: Frame only one

one pipe element into the nozzle node. Do not place restraints at the nozzle node. Do not place anchors at the nozzle node. Do not specify displacements for the nozzle node.

CAESAR II automatically performs the following functions:
Calculates nozzle flexibilities for the nozzle/vessel data entered by the user Calculates and inserts restraints to simulate nozzle flexibilities Calculates flexibilities for the axial translations, circumferential, and longitudinal bending Users must perform the error check process to view these calculated values. CAESAR II uses the following criteria for its calculations: Shear and torsional stiffnesses are assumed rigid. Nozzle configurations outside of the WRC 297 curve limits are considered rigid. It is not unusual for one stiffness value to be rigid because of curve limits, and the others to be suitably flexible. The Vessel Temperature and Material fields on the WRC 297 auxiliary data area may be used to optionally compute a reduced modulus of elasticity for the local stiffness calculations.

Flexible Anchors with Predefined Displacements

To model flexible anchors with predefined displacements, implement the following requirements: Use six flexible restraints. Put four restraints on one spreadsheet and the last two restraints on the next element spreadsheet. Define a unique connecting node (CNode), at each of the six restraints. All six restraints should have the same connecting node. Specify the displacements at the connecting node.

Flexible Anchors

Follow these guidelines to model flexible anchors: Use six flexible restraints. Put four restraints on one spreadsheet and the last two restraints on the next element spreadsheet.

Anchors with Displacements

Follow these general guidelines to model anchors with displacements: Enter only displacements for the node. Do not specify restraints or anchors at the node to be displaced. For anchors with displacements, make sure all 6 degrees of freedom at the node are defined.

Up to 9 different displacement vectors (i.e., D1...D9) may be defined. Non-zero displacements are usually part of the thermal expansion effects and, if so, should normally be added into any analysis case containing the corresponding thermal, i.e. W+P1+T1+D1. The CAESAR II recommended load cases do this automatically. The translations and/or rotations for any nodal degree of freedom having displacements specified in any displacement vector will be zero for load cases not containing that vector as part of the load case identification, and the specified non-zero value for load cases containing the vector as part of the load case identification. For instance, defined displacements are used if the load case is W+P1+T1+D1 (OPE) and those displacements are held to zero if the load case is W+P1 (SUS). Once a degree of freedom has been fixed in one displacement vector, it cannot be free in another displacement vector at the same node (leaving a displacement field blank will default to zero in this case).

Anchors The following are general guidelines and information concerning anchors: The anchor default stiffness for translational and rotational degrees of freedom is defined in the Configuration file. Connecting nodes can be used with anchors to rigidly fix one point in the piping system to any other point in the piping system. Entries in the Stif field apply to all 6 anchor degrees of freedom. Displacements should not be specified at an anchor. If the displacements of a particular point are known, they should be input directly without any additional restraints or anchors. Accurate input of the piping boundary conditions (i.e. restraints) is probably the single most important part of system modeling, requiring experience both with piping fabrication and erection, and with CAESAR II.