Vibration Analysis of Pipes Supported by a Flexible Tank Wall Considering the Support Clearances

Abstract

The vibration of pipes supported by a flexible tank wall is analyzed taking into account the hydroelastic vibration of the tank and the nonlinearity caused by the support clearances. Because the support clearances increase the pipe displacement, it is important to examine whether the support clearances augment the pipe stress. We illustrate that the support clearances can cause an increase in the pipe stress not only due to the increase in pipe displacement but also to the difference between elastic behaviors of the tank wall and pipes. The tank wall and pipes are dominated by membrane and bending deformations, respectively. Furthermore, we illustrate that the support clearances render a stress reduction method ineffective. In this study, a semi-analytical method is applied, rather than a full finite element analysis. The semianalytical method is helpful not only for computationally efficient analysis but also for gaining physical insight into the clearance-nonlinearity-induced stress behaviors noted above.