Structural analysis of Japanese PWR steel containment vessel under internal pressure loading

Abstract

Elastic—plastic structural analyses of a typical Japanese PWR steel containment vessel under static or dynamic internal pressure loading representing conditions of a typical severe accident were performed using the finite-element analysis code “ADINA”. In the analysis, static pressure was applied up to 1 MPa, simulating the conditions of a severe accident. Dynamic pressure loadings were assumed, such as a triangular pressure pulse with 10 ms duration and 1 or 2 MPa peak pressure, representing dynamic conditions of hydrogen burn or steam explosion in a containment. It was found in the present analysis that the containment behaves elastically as a whole up to 0.8 MPa in the statically applied loading.