Static and dynamic buckling of thin hemispherical and cylindrical shells fluid-coupled with a rigid vessel: Tests and calculations

In the last years the development of pool type LMFBRs has led to consider both the dynamic behaviour and the stability of thin shells interacting with a fluid which surrounds them. These problems are relevant when structures made of thin shells are subjected to violent motion as in the case of earthquake. This paper reports some experimental and numerical results on the dynamic stability of thin shells fluid coupled with a concentric rigid vessel. The gap between the shell and the vessel is filled with liquid and the loads on the thin shell are essentially pressures associated with the dynamic excitation. 10 refs, 15 figs