5. Conclusion

Numerical simulation is becoming increasingly widespread in industry, and is becoming a design aid for many mechanical systems, complementing data and sizing rules derived from experimental results or built using analytical models. Calculations using structural dynamics and fluid dynamics codes – sometimes coupled or chained to represent fluid-structure interaction effects – help to understand, predict or anticipate certain vibratory phenomena encountered in nuclear capacities (heat exchangers, reactor cores).

Significant innovations, particularly in the modelling of fluid-structure interactions, have made coupled simulations possible and accessible to engineers. In the regulatory context applicable to the nuclear industry, these simulation methods meet the requirements of safety authorities in terms of validation and verification, applicable to any new method....