Experimental and Numerical Studies of AP1000 Shield Building considering Fluid-Structure Interaction

The gravity cooling water tank is a remarkable structural feature of third-generation pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant. To investigate the influence of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) on the seismic response of the structure, this study designed two 1 : 50 simplified models of the AP1000 shield building. A series of shaking table tests were conducted to study the seismic responses with and without FSI effect. The natural frequency, acceleration, strain, and hydrodynamic pressure of the two models were analyzed, and the seismic reduction effect of the water tank was evaluated. Moreover, the test data were compared with the results of numerical analysis using the ABAQUS software. The results show that the presence of water and the sloshing of water reduce the natural frequency and seismic response of the model structure. Thus, the gravity cooling water tank has a certain seismic reduction effect. The simplified model of water sloshing can be used to analyze the seismic response of the shield building.

Automated summary

This study investigates the influence of the gravity cooling water tank on the seismic response of nuclear power plant structures. Through shaking table tests and numerical analysis, it is found that the presence of water and water sloshing can reduce the natural frequency and seismic response of the structures.