Sloshing response of layered liquids in rigid tanks

Technical Report · Thu Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10170349· OSTI ID:10170349

Veletsos, A S; Shivakumar, P ^[1]

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1. Rice Univ., Houston, TX (US)

Whereas the response to earthquakes of tanks containing a uniform, homogeneous liquid has been the subject of numerous studies in recent years, there is a paucity of information concerning the corresponding response of tanks containing layers of liquid of different densities. Current interest in the response of tanks with layered liquids is motivated by two factors: (1) many waste storage tanks in nuclear facilities contain two or more layers of liquid or liquid-like material of different densities; and (2) recent processing for the recovery and decontamination of discharge fuel materials is typically carried out in tanks containing two-layered liquids. The sloshing action of layered liquids in rigid cylindrical and long rectangular tanks is investigated considering both their free vibrational characteristics and their response to a horizontal component of base shaking. Special attention is given to the maximum surface displacement induced by the base motion. The analysis is formulated for systems with N superimposed layers of different thicknesses and densities, and it is illustrated by a numerical example. In addition, comprehensive numerical data are presented for two-layered and some three-layered systems which elucidate the underlying response mechanisms and the effects and relative importance of the numerous parameters involved. It is shown that for each horizontal natural mode of vibration, there are N distinct vertical modes, the frequencies of which are lower than the natural frequency of a homogeneous liquid of the same total depth. It is further shown that the maximum surface sloshing displacement of the base-excited layered system is typically larger than of the corresponding homogeneous system, and that the results for the long rectangular and the cylindrical tanks are quite similar.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 10170349
• Report Number(s): BNL--52378; ON: DE93017730
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050900
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
DENSITY
EARTHQUAKES
EQUATIONS OF MOTION
GROUND MOTION
HYDRODYNAMICS
INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOW
LAYERS
LIQUID FLOW
LIQUID WASTES
LIQUIDS
MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
RESPONSE FUNCTIONS
SEISMIC EFFECTS
STORAGE
TANKS
THEORETICAL DATA
TRANSPORT, HANDLING, AND STORAGE