Three-dimensional finite-element computations of the transient response of components typical of a reactor structure

A structural analysis, finite-element code SADCAT has been developed to compute the elastoplastic response of thin-walled structural members undergoing rapid, large displacements in three-dimensional space. A convected-coordinate technique permits a simplified description of large displacements and rotations. The computational procedure consists of a lumped-mass, explicit numerical scheme suited to the nonlinear path-dependent material behavior. Code predictions have been compared with analytical calculations and published experimental data, and the correlations validate the capability of the code to provide reliable predictions for three-dimensional shell-type structures. (orig.)