Frequency Dependency of Beam Collapse due to Vibration Loads

Abstract

Since the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, in addition to “design to prevent accidents”, “mitigating the severe accident” has come to be emphasized. Thus, it is necessary to evaluate the actual failure mode under beyond design basis events (BDBEs). In this study, authors focus on the failure mode of piping in nuclear power plants under excessive earthquakes. The piping design of nuclear power plants has been conservative assuming that seismic load acts as load-controlled and the collapse happens by maximum acceleration. However, the test conducted by Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) confirmed that when excessive vibration load was applied to the piping with the elbow, ratchet deformation occurred with time and eventually collapsed. Unfortunately, this failure mechanism is not clear, so it is highly important to consider the actual failure mode, namely ratchet deformation leading to collapse. Authors tried to clarify the mechanism of ratchet deformation by experiments and analyses of inputting acceleration to a beam simulating piping. According to these results, it is identified that ratchet deformation is likely to occur when the vibration load whose frequency is lower than resonance frequency is applied, and is difficult to occur on the higher frequency area. Hereafter, the ratio of the frequency of vibration load to the natural frequency of beams is referred as “frequency ratio”. In this study, half-cycle vibration load was applied to the beam, and the frequency dependence of the collapse phenomenon was investigated.