A vibration amplification device for the seismic margins test of NPP equipment

This paper describes new test methodologies to obtain data used to evaluate the ultimate seismic strength of Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) equipment related to nuclear safety. The paper first reviews existing equipment seismic test data from the viewpoint of the evaluation of their ultimate seismic strength and/or seismic design margins, and extracts the issues in the existing data with regard to their applicability to the evaluation. Then, the paper proposes new test methodologies for the equipment to evaluate their ultimate seismic strength. The test methodology of the equipment employs a vibration amplification system to a shaking table and enhances its applicable maximum acceleration up to 6g. The test methodology herein is cost effective for obtaining test data that is indispensable for evaluating proper seismic margins of NPPs. (author)