Patent ID: 7444246

Claim:
A method of determining a fluctuating pressure loading on at least one component inside a reactor steam dome having at least one steam line for transferring steam away from said dome, said steam line being joined to said steam dome via an exit region and having at least one acoustic source therein, said method comprising: measuring pressure as a function of time at a first location in said steam line; measuring pressure as a function of time at a second location in said steam line, wherein there is no said acoustic source between said first and second locations; using said pressure measurements to calculate a fluctuating steam exit velocity as a function of frequency at said exit region; and obtaining a fluctuating pressure loading as a function of frequency on said component using said fluctuating steam exit velocity as a boundary condition for solving a 3-D Helmholtz equation in said steam dome to determine if said component can operate safely at said fluctuating pressure loading, ∇ 2 ⁢ P - 1 a 2 ⁢ ∂ 2 ⁢ P ∂ 2 ⁢ t = 0 , and wherein said 3-D Helmholtz equation is of the form ∇ 2 ⁢ P + ω 2 a 2 ⁢ P = 0 , where P represents pressure, ω represents frequency, and a represents acoustic speed.