Seismic experiments on short coaxial multi-layered cylindrical shells with fluid–structure interaction in fast reactors

Abstract

As the most important component of pool-type fast reactors, the main vessel contains most of the equipment for the primary circuit and thousands of tons of liquid sodium. The fluid–structure interaction effects of the coaxial multi-layer thin-walled cylindrical shells formed by the main vessel and its thermal shield cannot be neglected. Though the research on the fluid–structure interaction of the liquid in the pool is sufficient, the research on the short coaxial multi-layer cylindrical shells is not enough, especially the axial and circumferential mode shapes and the ratio of each mode under seismic conditions. So, it is necessary to study the fluid–structure interaction of short coaxial multilayer shells. This paper presents shaking table tests performed on double- and triple-layered cylindrical shells to investigate fluid–structure interaction and seismic response, respectively. The experiments reveal that when the aspect ratio is less than 2, Mode (1,6) exhibits the most significant response under sine wave excitation conditions, while Mode (1,1) demonstrates the highest response under seismic conditions. The first three modes are characterized as out-of-phase modes. Additionally, the pressure component of the first circumferential mode contributes 20% to the overall response of the first 12 modes under seismic conditions.