Nonlinear response of acid storage tank coupled with piping attachment under seismic load for optimal safe design

Abstract

Optimum safe design through numerically investigation and simulation of FSI due to seismic loading on acid tank with piping attachment is presented. A nonlinear FSI based on the FEM is performed on a full-scale 3D model. Investigations are supplemented by a CFD to simulate the fluid motion inside the tank using acceleration time history of Kocaeli earthquake, the response of the maximum stress, deformation, and displacement of rigidly restrained fixed and flexible tanks at different fill levels and thickness are evaluated. The results are compared and analyzed with design codes and the difference observed in hydrostatic pressure is less than 0.08%, and in maximum values of hydrodynamic pressure are less than 4.3%, 0.8%, and 1.5% at three fill level while the average difference in transient time history total pressure is less than 0.4%. Finally, the provision given in the design codes and response of parameters is computed and polynomial correlation is proposed with an accuracy of above 0.99 and average difference less than 5% in fixed tank and less than 2% in the flexible tank for designing a safe tank by analysis.

Keywords:
Hydrodynamics; FSI; CFD simulation; time history seismic analysis; sloshing; piping system

Graphical Abstract