Computer simulation and verification of DC power plants for seismic qualification

Abstract

Power plant integrity and resistance to earthquakes are of special interest to those living in areas of high seismic risk. Power products must be designed and tested to ensure survivability. A cost effective analytical approach using PC based software is described and verified. Medium sized power plants are selected for structural examination. They are -48 VDC plants with maximum current capacity of 600 A. The plants are modular, mounted on a seismic, free standing equipment rack. The modularity is provided by interchangeable functional blocks or panels. Being modular, the plants provide for a variety of configurations. The total weight, center of gravity and eccentricity will change or shift as modules are added, subtracted or interchanged. Finite element analysis (FEA) is a cost effective way to determine the structural impact. FEA may be applied to all configurations with confidence once one set of analysis results has been confirmed by testing.<>