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I N T E R N A T I O N AS L Y M P O S I U MO N EARTHQUAKE STRUCTURAL E N GI N E E R I N G
Sl. Louis.Missouri, USA, August, 1976

I 231

SEISMIC DESIGN OF LIQUID STORAGETANKS TO EARTHQUAKES

=i! P O(J

P.

C. CHENand R. B.

BARBER

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Engineering Scienti-fic Development,

Specialists Bechtel Corporation U.S.A.

6 F! Jt6U F N U
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San Francisco,

California,

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(Bauer) which finds A rigorous and experioentally verified technique Ehe solution to the Laplace equ,rtion and satisfies the boundary conditions for hydrodynanr-ic probleuls was conpared vrith the currenc tank seismic (Housner). design procedures were The current tank design procedures developed using an approximace approach which did not consider the usual procedures problens. potentials of deternining for hydrodynanic velociEy A-lso, it only considered node frequency oscillation. the firsr of fluid Factors in the comparison were fluid frequencies, included oscillation fluid dynanic pressures, equivalent mechanical models, and tank base moments. The NRC seismic design specEra were used in the comparison as the design earchquakes. The results for cylindrical tanks, show that the current gives smaller design approach generally cank base moments chan the rigorous in cank For rectangular tanks, the differences approach. base moments between those two approaches are snall, Based upon above resulEs, improved techniques were developed for tank seismic design. use the rigorous These simplified techniques of approach for tank analysis and consider higher mode frequencies fluid Parameter charts were also developed whlch greatly oscillatlon. storage l-anks. facilitate the seismic analysis and design of liquid

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INTRODUCTION The serious damage suffered by sEorage tanks in recent eart.hquakes 8, l0) denonstrates the need for reinvestigating used currently approaches in designing Eanks to resisE dynarnic forces induced fy fluid earthquakes. The need is furcher intensified when one realizes Ehac che spent fuel pooI, radioactive storage tanks, and suppression chambers of power plants nuclear are designed usj-ng Ehese same approaches. The approaches are based on the assumptions and only Ehat lhe tank is rigid (7, 13). the first sloshlng mode is present in che dynamic analysis The analysis itself is carried nethod which avoids che ou! by an approximate usual prdcedures of finding a solution Co che Laplace equation that satisfies problems. Ehe boundary conditions for hydrodynamic (4, Since the publication of currently storage tank design used oil procedures in 1957 (7), very 1itt1e research work has been done concerning sloshing forces in civil-cype structures. In the Deantime, Ehe state of the art has been advanced in the space industry efforts through to minimize the effect of propellant sloshing on the stability of space (1, 3,6). vehicles The analysis sloshing of propellant is rigorous, and (2). the results for cylindrical tanks have been experimencally verified The nature of space vehicle propellant sloshing storage and fixed tank liquid sloshlng is the same except for the cause of liquid dislurbance. For the former, the disturbances are gust loads and the mocion of space vehicles; for the latter, the disturbances are caused by earChquakes. Therefore, it is desirable to compare the Eechniques for space vehicle fuel tank design with the current design approaches for liquid storage tanks in order to deternine the adequacy of the latter. Because the forrnulaLions of and solucions to the problem of liquid sloshing inside a flexible tank are extremely complex and its analysis in Che is sti11 developmental scage (5, 11, 14), the comparison is restricted co che moEions of a contained fluid inside rigid tanks. This paper compares the results of design procedures for both recEangular and cylindrical space vehicle fuel tanks and oil sEorage canks. Based on chis comparison, improved techniques are suggested for the seismic design of oil storage tanks. Parameter charts which facilitate the seismic analysis and design of such tanks are also developed.

that the normal velocity WiEh the boundary conditions at the interface surface and tank wall equals Ehe normal velocity of the fluid of the particle at thaE point, the surface pressure j.s zero, and the fluid parCicles must scay on the surface, potential Ehe velocity fluid is then The velocity components, pressure distributions, determined. and the surface displacement are then obtained from the knor.rn velocity fluid The forces potential. and momencs acting on the tank are deterruined by (12). integracions of pressure appropriaEe (6) derived Using the above basic theory, Graham and Rodriquez equaEions which decernr-ine the frequencies, surface dlsplacemencs, pressures, and forces associated with fluid sloshing in rectangular Bauer (3) derived the equivalenE equations Eanks. tanks. for cylindrical syst.en for the rectangular The cank geometry and coordinate and.cylindrical I and 2 respectively, Eanks are shown in Figures The complexity of che solucion problen Eo the sloshing in laEeralfy (7) approxinace in Housner's ooving tanks resulted These approaches. approaches are based upon the simplification thac the pressures acting on the tank during laceral sloshing can be separat.ed into impulsive and convective components (Figure 3). With the separation of pressures into tvro parts, each part is developed separately so that of the usual procedures velocity potentials deteruining for hydrodynanic probleurs are not used. Also, only the first vlbration mode of the fluid ts considered in che analysis. pressures The formulas for frequencies. and surface displacements both the rectangular and cylindrical tanks using the different approaches sunmarized respectively in Tables I and 2.

for are

The oscillatory mofion of fluid in a tank roay be near resonance with the orotion of the supporting structure and Ehus roay lead to dynamic insEabilities or struccural failure. In order to mininize possible structural failure and realistically determine the coupled structural response Chrough dynamic analysis, it is sometj.mes desirable to replace the fluid r.rith a dynamically equivalent mechanical system and combine it with the struccural model. This dynaruic equivalence is taken in the sense of equal frequencies, uulsses, resulcant forces, and rcmencs accing on the Eank wa1ls and botcom. The dynanically equivalent rnechanical model for fluid sloshing normally consists of a series of springs and masses attached at specified heights frorn the tank base, in the plane of syuunetry and in the direction of base excitation. The equivalent mechanical rnodel-s for laceral sloshing in the rectangular Eanks are sumnarized in Table 3. Their detailed derivations, are given in References 6 and 13. The diagrams of the equivalenE mechanical models are shor^m in Figure 4 for both the Graham and Rodriquez approach and Ehe Housner approach. SiuLilarly, the equivalenE mechanical models for Iateral sloshing in cylindrical Eanks are sumnarized in Tab1e 4, and their derivaEions are given in References 3 and 13. The diagrams of the equivalent mechanical models for both the Bauer and Ehe Housner approaches for cylindrical Eanks are similar to those for the rectangular tank and are shoun in Figure 5.

BACKGROIJND The formulation of and solution to the general problem of fluid oscillaEions in a laterally moving tank are extremely difficult. The generally assumptions enployed in such a theoretical analysis are thac the tank is rigid, the fluid is homogeneous, incompressible and nonviscous, the flow is irrotational, and the displacenents, velocities and slopes of fhe fluid surface are srnall.

and

The assumption of irrotational flow insures Ehe exisEence of a singlevalue velocit.y potential in a sirnply connected region, from which the velocity can be derived. Using the equaEions of motion for a parEicle in a nonviscous fluid and considering the mass conservation and incompressibility, Ehe velocity pocential is the solut.ion to the Laplace equation.

1234
COMPARISONOF TANK DESIGN TECHNIQI'ES Tank design techniques for both the rectangul-ar and the cylindrical space vehicle propellant Eanks and oil storage tanks were compared using che Grahan and Rodriquez (G&R), Bauer, and Housner approaches. The pressures and tank base xooments. Since comparison i.ncluded frequencies, the resultj.ng moments about. the tank base are obEained by the integration of pressures, the resulEs of pressure comparisons are seen from the comparison of resulting moments. The equi-valent mechanical rnodels were used to comPute the base noDencs. (a) Rectangular Tanks

1235
by h=20') are for the fanily The curves in Figure 8 (idenEified The moments predicted h e i g h t o f 2 0 feeE. f i x e d t a n k a w i c h of tanks increases increase as the tank asPecE ratio iv Ut,. Bauer approach at first than For t.ank aspecg raElos smaller th.n approach a conscant value. For IBP momenrs. "r,d gives unreasonably large 0.5, the Housner approach than 1.0, boCh the IBP and EBP moments tend to larger tank aspect ratios be constanf' EhaE for of t.ank design Eechniques indicates The conparison (Housner's approach) design technique the current tanks, tylindrical verified than the exPerimencally base ."T"1!: gives sneller generally A difference of 15ll in base monents has been observed iauer "pproach. lanks ' the G6R and Housner approaches For reclangular gure 8) . in base moments as shoum io Figure differences give only small generall_y since the Housner approach was developed after This j-s noE surprising, 1. for verification and used the G&R results he G&R approach was published rhe Housner approach gives Ehan 0.5, smaller (7). For tank asPect ratios and cylindrical large IBP moments for boch the recEangular excessively G&R and Bauer the more riSorous In view of these observations, tanks. tank designs. spproaches should be used to achieve more reliable

The first mode frequency for uwo fanilies comparison of rectangular tanks for both the G&R and Housner approaches is given in Table 5. The predicted frequencies are almosL identical for the two methods. No higher mode frequenci.es were compared since Housnerts approach gives only the first rnode frequency. Flgure 7 compares lhe resulting Eank base rDoments for Ehe Ewo fanilies of tanks studied, One set of lines in Figure 7 (identified by a=l6r) is for the fanily of tanks with a fixed tank lridch of 16 feet, MomenEs frou the G&R approach and both the IBP (which includes bottom pressures) and EBP (which excludes botEom pressures) cases of the Housner approach are labeled (9), in the figure. The NRC design spectran Figure 6, were used for computing the momenEs due to sloshing masses for both the G&R and Housner approaches. A flund daroping value of 0.52 and a naxlnum ground acceleration of l.0g were assurned. It is interesting to noce that for the farnl.ly of tanks studied, the resul-Es of the G&R approach lie between Ehose of Ehe IBP and EBP cases of the Housner app The other set of lines ln Figure 7 (identtfl,ed by h=20r ) is for the fanily of tanks wl-th a fixed tank height of 20 feet. Ttre results show that monencs from the G&R approach have a near constant value, while Che Housner approach tends toerard a consEant moment--cl,ose Eo that moment given by the G&R nethod--as the tank aspect ratio increases. For Eank aspecr ratios smaller than 0.5, the Housner approach gives excessively IBP large llpmenEs. (b) Cylindrical Tanks

DESIGN CITARTS tank design using Ehe G&R and Bauer approaches' fn order to facilitaEe Figure 9, 10, and ll give the aeveral design charts were developed. in the tank for the equivalent ulasses, and mass locaEions frequencies, The approxitanksin recEangular sloshing nical model of lateral between 0'25 tanks Ltith asPect ratios e base Doments for rectangular masses and mass locaEion 12. The frequencies, 6.0 are shown in Figure sloshing model of lateral oechanical the tank for che equivalent The approxi13, 14 and 15. cylindrical tanks are given in Flgures betldeen 0.25 and tanks with aspect ratios e base nonents for cylindrical .0 are shown in Figure 16. The base moments from these charts are at dynaxtric for a rigorous t l0Z snaller than the base moments obtained analysis with a I.0 g naxinum horizontal using the NRC design spectra rhan 1.0 g' is smaller round acceleration. If the ground acceleration the tank base moments for Ehese charts should be scaled down proporti-onal).y.

The first rDode frequency comparison of two fanilies of cylindrical tanks for both the Bauer and Housner approaches is shown in Table 6. The comparison shows almosE identical resulEs, The higher mode frequencies could not be compared since Housnerts approach only gives the first mode frequency. A comparison of result.ing lank base ulomenls for rwo faroilies of cyllndrlcal tanks is shown in Figure 8. The curves in Figure 8 (idencified by Fl6') are for tanks wich a fixed cank diamerer of 16 feer. The results obtained using the Bauer approach and Ehe IBP and EBP cases of the Housner approach are so labeied. The NRC design spectrum with a 0.52 damping value and a maximun ground accelerafion of 1.0 g was used for deternining the moments due co the sloshing rDasses. The results show Ehac' e x c e p t f o r t a n k a s p e c f r a t i o s s m a l l e r t h a n 1 . 0 , t h e B a r r t ' l -: p D r o ' r ; ' h q i r . r e q
l -

CONCLUSION Ehat for cylindriThe comparison of tank design cechniques indicaEes generally (Housner approach) tanks, desi.gn technique the current Bauer Provides sm.ller tank base monents than the experimentally-verified approach, In of I5"l in base momencs has been observed. A difference rectangular in Eank base moments tanks, Ehere is a soal1 difference calculated (G&R) aPProach as comPared to using the Graham and Rodriguez those obtained in base nonents The difference by t.he Housner approach, also refleccs difference Very little in dynamic pressures. the difference in the firsc fluid frequency was observed. node oscillacing cal

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Table 3. Equivalent Mechanical Rectangular Model for Tank LaEeral Sl-oshine Table 5. Comparison of Frequencj-es, Conscant Tank Height, h = 20' RecEangular Tank

1239

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Equlvalent

MechanLcal Cyllndrlcal

Model Tank

for

LaEeral

Sloshing

Table 6. Comparison of Frequencies, Constant Tank Helghc, h = 30r Cyllndrical Tank

Natur.l

Frequen.y

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rank approaches are suggested to be used to achieve more rellab.le to facj-licate the use of these are developed design. Design charts to earthquakes. approaches for the design of canks subjected

and

Free

Surface

i rcquer'r!y , Uytiamic I'ressur.', - Rectangular Displacement

Tank

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REFERENCES

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?

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12. 13. L4.

Abramson, H-.N. ed., of Liquids "The Dynamic Behavior in Moving NASA SP-106, 1966. Qontainers," During Sloshing Abranson, H.N. et al., "Wa11 Pressure Distributions in Rigid Tanks," ARS J. Vo1. 31, No. 4, April 1961. rrFluid Oscitlations Bauer, H.F., in the Containers of a Space Vehicle Influence NASA TR R-187, 1964. and lheir Upon Stability," 'rAnchorage Bug, G. V, and Stratta, J.L., and the Alaska Earthquake of 1964," Anrerican Iron and Steel Institute, 1974. July, Cooperative Research Program on the Response of Liquid-fil1ed Storage Tanks to Earthquake Excit.ation. Current research activity ac the Universlty of Callfornia, Berkeley, California. 'rThe Graham, E.W. and Rodrlguez, of Fuel A.l,l,, Characteristics Motion Which Affect Airplane Dynamics," J, Appl. Mech., Vo1. 19, No.3, Septenber 1952. Housner, G.W., ttDynamic Pressure on Accelerated Fluid Containers,t' BSSA, Vol. 47, No. I, January 1957. Husid, R. et al., and Strong Motions Due to che Lim", "Danage Effects Peru, Earthquake of Oct.ober 3, L974," che TIst Annual lleeting of the Seismological Society l,Iarch 1975. of Amerlca, Regulatory Guide 1.60, "Design Response Spectra for Seismic Design of Nuclear Power Plants,tt DirectoraEe of Regulatory SEandards, U.S. NRC, Occober, 1973. I'Oil St.orage Rinne, J.E., Tanks,r' The Prince Williaur Sound Earthquake 1964 and Aftershocks, Vol, II, part A, U.S. DeparEment of Couunerce, L967. W.A., Response of an Empcv Cylindrical Ground ffish, Supporced Liquid Scorage Tank to Base Excitation, Engineering Research Insticute, University of MassachuseEts, Amherst, Massachuselts, August,1975. Stoker, J.J., Water Waves, Interscience Publishers Inc., New York, 1957 . TID 7024, Nuclear Reactors and Earthquakes, US AEC, 1963. Wu, C.I., et al., Storage "Response of Ground Supported Liquid Tanks to Seisrnic Excitation," Proceedings of the U.S. National Conference on EarEhquake Engineering, Ann Arbor, I'tichigan, 1975,

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Table 2. Frequency, Dynarnlc Pressure, and Free Surface Displacenent - Cylindrical

Tank

Naturrl

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Figure l. Geonetry and CoordinaEe System, Rectangular Tank, Graham and Rodrlguez Approach

----i----

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(b) (:) Grahan .nd bdrr8,'.! Appro.ch

Hownr

Approlch

Figure 2. Geometry SysEeo, Cylindrical Approach

and Coordinate Tank, Bauer

Figure

4.

Equlvalent

Hechanlcal

Models

for

Rectangular

Tanks

(.f Coordlnrr

for

cyllndrlcal for

t3rt.s) l'ressurc (a) Daucr ^pproach

Sy.teh

Convcctlvc

Figure

3.

GeomeEry and Coordinate

System,

Housner Approach

Figure

5.

Equlvalent

Mechanical

Models

for

Cyllndrical

Tanks

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xi
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8.

Comparison

of

Tank Base Moment,

Cylindrical

Tanks

FLgure

6.

Design Spectra For Peak Horizontal Horl-zontal of 1.09 Ground Acceleration

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, Flgure Figure 7. Comparison of Tank Base Moments, Rectangular Tanks 9. Frequencies of

h/a Equivalent Mechanical Mode, Rectangular Tanks

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Flgure 14. Ratio of Sloshlng }lasses, Cyllndrlcal Tanks

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Figure

16.

Tank Base Moments, Constant Gylindrical Tank

Tank Radius.

Figure

15.

Ratio

of

Fiass Locations,

Cylindrj.cal

Tanks