Reliability Based Design Optimization of Primary Shield Structure Consisting of Steel-Plate Composite (SC) Walls Under Seismic Load

Abstract

This paper presents a reliability based design optimization (RBDO) of a primary shield wall (PSW) specimen consisting of steel-plate composite (SC) walls scaled from a typical pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power plant under seismic loads. The PSW structure consists of thick SC wall segments with complex and irregular geometry that surround the central reactor vessel’s cavity. Previously, researchers at Purdue University have developed a 3D finite element model (FEM) model of the well-established experimental test setup of a 1/6th scale PSW specimen and the seismic load-deformation behavior was simulated. This paper extends the efforts of the researchers at Purdue University, through RBDO, thereby using the same 3D FEM model. For the simplicity of RBDO, only monotonic loading is considered and response surface method (RSM) is used for approximating the response of the 3D FEM model. Yielding of steel due to tension and/or shear is being considered as a milestone failure mode. The thicknesses of steel plate thicknesses are being considered as the objective to be optimized. The yield stress of steel, applied displacement and steel plate thicknesses are considered to be normal random variables. General purpose finite element software Abaqus (FEA) along with process automation and design exploration software Isight, both developed by Dassault Systèmes Simulia, are being used for the RBDO.