Application example: design of a leak-tight bolted joint at the pump outlet

The case study concerns a pump flange in the shutdown cooling system of a pressurized water nuclear reactor. The function of this system is to ensure water circulation when the primary circuit pumps are shut down, in order to control the reactor temperature during the shutdown phase and to accommodate certain operational transients. In this context, the circuit contributes to critical thermal control and safety functions, with stringent requirements regarding the leak-tightness and mechanical integrity of the connection.

The assembly under study consists of a connecting flange that links the discharge port of the circulation pump to the downstream piping. The case presented is deliberately fictional, in order to illustrate a situation representative of the challenges encountered in practice, while maintaining a controlled framework for applying the TBSS method....