Modal spectrum analysis of piping systems under water-hammer loading: Spectra examination

In the last few years the dynamic calculation with spectra of piping systems under fluid-hammer has been developed. In comparison with the time-history solution method the spectra method has important advantages because it can calculate a bounded solution. In this bounded solution, the inevitable uncertainties of the time-dependent forces and the uncertainties in the modeling of the piping system are taken into account. The spectra also give valuable information about the frequency content of the time-dependent forces, which is important too for correct time-step selection when using the time-history-method. Using the spectra method, the dynamic calculation is divided into stages. First and most essential is the calculation of the spectra. Secondly, a form of superposition is used for combining the results from each eigenmode analysis. In this paper the first stage, calculation of the spectra due to fluid hammer loading, will be examined. An approximate method for load calculation is shown, whereby the results from a change of fluid-dynamic parameters can be quickly determined without making a full numerical analysis. When changes are made in fluiddynamic parameters, the normal result is a change of shift in the frequency content of the spectra. However, for changes in certain parameters, only the force amplitudes are changed. Both types of changes will be discussed. (orig./RW)