Dynamic buckling experiments on liquid containing cantilever cylindrical shells under horizontal excitation

Dynamic buckling experiments on thin cylindrical shells placed inside a rig id liquid container were carried out by using a shaking table. The shells r epresent the thermal baffles and the container represents the reactor vesse l of a fast breeder reactor. The fluid pressure caused by the horizontal ex citation distributes nonuniformly around the cylinders and causes external pressure buckling deformation on them. The buckling pressure on various typ es of test cylinders and seismic waves was measured, and it was confirmed t o be higher than that predicted by static buckling analysis. It was also fo und that sub harmonic vibration occurs under a certain sinusoidal-wave exci tation, and the response displacement increases suddenly at a lower pressur e than the buckling pressure measured by seismic-wave-excitation tests. The test results indicated that in seismic design to prevent buckling of the t hermal baffles, the static buckling analysis can be used as long as sub-har monic vibration does not occur.