High Energy Pipe Break analysis for the pipelines of a nuclear power plant: No standard case

•Detailed methodological approach on the High Energy Pipe Break (HEPB) analysis for NPP.•HEPB Level 2 and 3 analysis on the pipe line of Mochovce NPP was provided.•Reducing the construction or modification cost on the NPP due to a less conservative approach as a level 2 analysis.•Coupled approach (thermo hydraulic and mechanical) to reduce the conservatism.

The aim of this study is to show the application of the High Energy Pipe Break (HEPB) a level 3 methodology analysis, applied to the study of the pipelines of a standard pressurized water reactor. In particular, in this paper, a numerical approach for simulating the pipe impact against a reinforced concrete column is provided in order to evaluate a correct design of the column in terms of steel rebar and column dimension. Moreover, to finalize the problem, the coupled analysis (thermofluidynamic and mechanical) to calculate a real thrust force on the pipe is provided and the results of the new numerical analysis is shown.