Nonlinear dynamic analysis of hydrodynamically-coupled stainless steel structures
- Battelle, Columbus, OH (United States). Engineering Mechanics Group
Spent nuclear fuel is usually stored temporarily on the site of nuclear power plants. The spent fuel storage racks are nuclear-safety-related stainless steel structures required to be analyzed for seismic loads. When the storage pool is subjected to three-dimensional (3-D) floor seismic excitations, rack modules, stored fuel bundles, adjacent racks and pool walls, and surrounding water are hydrodynamically coupled. Hydrodynamic coupling (HC) significantly affects the dynamic responses of the racks that are free-standing and submerged in water within the pool. A nonlinear time-history dynamic analysis is usually needed to describe the motion behavior of the racks that are both geometrically nonlinear and material nonlinear in nature. The nonlinearities include the friction resistance between the rack supporting legs and the pool floor, and various potential impacts of fuel-rack, rack-rack, and rack-pool wall. The HC induced should be included in the nonlinear dynamic analysis using the added-hydrodynamic-mass concept based on potential theory per the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) acceptance criteria. To this end, a finite element analysis constitutes a feasible and effective tool. However, most people perform somewhat simplified 1-D, or 2-D, or 3-D single rack and 2-D multiple rack analyses. These analyses are incomplete because a 3-D single rack model behaves quite differently from a 2-D mode. Furthermore, a 3-D whole pool multi-rack model behaves differently than a 3-D single rack model, especially when the strong HC effects are unsymmetrical. In this paper 3-D nonlinear dynamic time-history analyses were performed in a more quantitative manner using sophisticated finite element models developed for a single rack as well as all twelve racks in the whole-pool. Typical response results due to different HC effects are determined and discussed.
- OSTI ID:
- 404331
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960706-; ISBN 0-7918-1787-3; TRN: 97:000451
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) pressure vessels and piping conference, Montreal (Canada), 21-26 Jul 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Seismic engineering -- 1996. PVP-volume 340; Saleem, M.A. [ed.] [AECL, Mississauga, Ontario (Canada)]; Aggarwal, M.C. [ed.]; PB: 372 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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