• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.149-164
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• 2014

One of the most advanced classes of techniques for ground response analysis is based on the use of Transfer Functions. They represent the ratio of Fourier spectrum of amplitude motion at the free surface to the corresponding spectrum of the bedrock motion and they are applied in frequency domain usually by FFT method. However, Fourier spectrum only shows the dominant frequency in each time step and is unable to represent all frequency contents in every time step and this drawback leads to inaccurate results. In this research, this process is optimized by decomposing the input motion into different frequency sub-bands using Wavelet Multi-level Decomposition. Each component is then processed with transfer Function relating to the corresponding component frequency. Taking inverse FFT from all components, the ground motion can be recovered by summing up the results. The nonlinear behavior is approximated using an iterative procedure with nonlinear soil properties. The results of this procedure show better accuracy with respect to field observations than does the Conventional method. The proposed method can also be applied to other engineering disciplines with similar procedure.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.33-42
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• 2004

While transforming the inelastic system into the equivalent elastic one gives an advantage of simpler analysis, the actual inelastic behavior of the system is hardly modeled in the capacity spectrum method (CSM). Therefore, the accuracy of CSM depends on the precise estimation of equivalent period and damping ratio as well as the modification of the elastic response spectrum and the corresponding demand spectrum. In this paper, the effect of demand spectrums on the accuracy of CSM is evaluated. First, the response reduction factors provided in ATC-40 and Euro Code are evaluated. Numerical analysis results indicated that the acceleration responses obtained using the factor of Euro Code are closer to the actual response than those obtained using the factors of ATC-40. Next, the accuracy of CSM is evaluated constructing the demand spectrum using the absolute acceleration responses and pseudo acceleration responses. The results obtained using the absolute acceleration responses were found to be generally larger than those obtained using the pseudo ones. Since CSM often underestimates the response, the use of absolute acceleration response gives the response relatively closer to the exact ones. However, the difference becomes negligible as the hardening ratio and the yield strength ratio become larger.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.755-762
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• 2004

In our country, when the replacement for individual components of equipment in nuclear power plants is required, establishment of individual criteria i.e. Required Response Spectra(RRS) of seismic test/analysis for the component is very difficult because of the absence of Test Response Spectra(TRS) for the individual component to be replaced, from the existing qualification documents. In this case, it is required to perform the structural analysis for the nuclear equipment including the components to be replaced. After the structural analysis, Analysis Response Spectra(ARS) at the point of the component shall be generated and used for seismic test of the component. However, as of today, no standard program authorized for the response spectra generation by using the structural analysis exists in korea. Because of above reason, the STAR-Egs computer program was developed by using the method which calculates directly the expected response spectrum(frequency vs. acceleration type) of the selected points in the nuclear equipment with input spectrum(Required Response Spectra, RRS), based on the dynamic characteristics of the Finite Element(FE) model that is equivalent to the nuclear equipment. The STAR-Egs controls ANSYS/I-DEAS commercial software and automatically extract modal parameters of the FE model. The STAR-Egs calculates response spectrum using the established algorithm based on the extracted modal parameters, too. Reliance on the calculation result of the STAR-Egs was verified through comparison output with the result of MATLAB commercial software based on the identical algorithm. Moreover, actual seismic testing was performed as per IEEE344-1987 for the purpose of program verification by comparison of the FE analysis results.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.05b
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• pp.477-482
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• 1997

Safe shutdown earthquakes (SSE) of four existing nuclear power plant sites were evaluated by using a probabilistic method. It turned out that the SSE's of the two sites are smaller than those of the rest. Site-specific response spectra were developed for two sites of which SSE's show a comparatively large difference. The result shows that the site-specific response spectrum of one site is higher by a factor of 1.5 than that of the other. The comparison of uniform hazard spectrum and site-specific response spectrum at one of the two sites shows that the both spectra are consistent with each other.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.35-44
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• 2004

In the capacity spectrum method(CSM) using a linear response spectrum, the peak response of an inelastic system under a given earthquake load is estimated transforming the system into the equivalent elastic one. The CSM for estimating the peak inelastic response is evaluated in this paper. The equivalent period and damping ratio are calculated using the ATC-40, G lkan, Kowalsky, and Iwan methods, and the performance points are obtained according to the procedure B of ATC-40. Analysis results indicate that the ATC-40 method generally underestimates the peak response resulting in the unsafe design, while the G lkan and Kowalsky methods overestimate the responses. The Iwan method produces the values between those by the ATC-40 method and the G lkan and Kowalsky methods, and estimates the responses relatively closer to the exact ones. Further, it is found that the Kowalsky method gives the negative equivalent damping ratios depending on the hardening ratios, and thereby can not be used to estimate the responses in some cases.

• Journal of KSNVE
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.180-186
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• 1998

Vibration test fixture is used in random vibration control testing. The specified reference spectrum should be transmitted equally to the specimen attachment points on the fixture. In most practical cases, however, spectrum at each of specimen attachment points may be quite different from the specified reference spectrum because of the dynamic characteristics of vibration test fixture. This paper proposes the method of experimental dynamic modification of fixture system for vibration test so that the reference spectrum can be transmitted to the specimen attachment points without distortion. The stiffness of mounts of specimen and the thickness of fixture are considered as design variables. The frequency response functions of specimen used for input data are obtained from vibration testing, and the frequency response functions of fixture are obtained from finite element modeling. The sensitivities of frequency response functions at specimen attachment points to the mount stiffness are derived from synthesis method of transfer function. And the sensitivities to the thickness of fixture are also derived from finite element modeling. The presented method is verified by computer simulation and vibration testing.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.39-46
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• 2009

The selection of an evaluation response spectrum can have a significant effect on the seismic fragility evaluation of a structure. A method for modifying the seismic fragility parameters that are calculated based on the design spectrum is described in this study. The modification factor is used to modify the original fragility parameters. The HCLPF (High Confidence of Low Probability of Failure) acceleration levels of the electric system using previous design spectrum and uniform hazard spectrum (UHS) were compared. Finally, seismic risk analyses were performed according to a uniform hazard spectrum. From the results, it was concluded that based on the design spectrum, seismic risk for the electric system might be underestimated.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.573-582
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• 2011

The in-cabinet response spectrum is used to define the input motion in the seismic qualification of instruments and devices mounted inside an electrical cabinet. This paper presents a procedure for generating the in-cabinet response spectrum for electrical equipment based on in-situ testing by an impact hammer. The proposed procedure includes an algorithm to build the relationship between the impact forces and the measured acceleration responses of cabinet structures by estimating the state-space model. This model is used to predict seismic responses to the equivalent earthquake forces. Three types of structural model are analyzed for numerical verification of the proposed method. A comparison of predicted and simulated response spectra shows good convergence, demonstrating the potential of the proposed method to predict the response spectra for real cabinet structures using vibration tests. The presented procedure eliminates the uncertainty associated with constructing an analytical model of the electrical cabinet, which has complex mass distribution and stiffness.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.498-498
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• 2001

Seismic qualification of the Main Control Boards for nuclear power plants has been performed with the guideline of AS ME Section III. US NRC Reg. Guide and IEEE 344 code. The analysis model of the Main Control Boards is consist of beam. shell and mass element by using the finite element method. and, at the same time. the excitation forces and other operating loads for each model are encompassed with respect to different loading conditions. As the fundamental frequencies of the structure are found to be less than 33Hz. which is the upper frequency limit of the seismic load, the response spectrum analysis using ANSYS is performed in order to combine the modal stresses within the frequency limit. In order to confirm the structural and functional integrity of the major components, modal analysis theory is adopted to derive the required response spectrum at the component locations. As all the combined stresses obtained from the above procedures are less than allowable stresses and no mechanical or electrical failures are found from the seismic testing, it concludes the Main Control Boards is dynamically qualified for seismic conditions. Although the authors had confirmed the structural and functional integrity of both Main Control Boards and all the component, in this paper only the seismic analysis of the Main Control Board is introduced.

• Journal of KSNVE
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.554-564
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• 1999

This paper presents the analytical method to evaluate the seismic responses on steam turbine-generator rotor system. Deterministic analytical methods, such as response spectrum approach, modal superposition method and direct integration method, are used to calculate the seismic response. The computer software is also developed based on the methods then can be applied to estimate the seismic safety of turbine-generator rotor system for power plants. Numerical example of a steam turbine-generator rotor system of 1007MW nuclear power plant is presented. The aseismatic performance are checked by comparing maximum seismic deflection at bearing positions with bearing clearance.