Buckling strength of main vessel of LMFBR under transverse shearing load

Vertical short cylindrical shells which are subjected to horizontal seismic loads can fail by buckling in shear. Radius-to-thickness ratio (R-t) and length-to-radius ratio (L-R) of the main vessel of LMFBR are estimated about 200 and 0.8 - 1.3, respectively in Japan. However, there is very little information of plastic shear buckling strength of the geometries, and the authors have not found any other relervant test results using stainless steel short cylinders with axial temperature distribution under transverse shearing loads. In this paper the test results and some considerations on plastic shear buckling of short cylinders made of SUS304 are described. The models have a nominal diameter of 1000 mm, nominal lengthes of 500 mm (16 models) and 600 mm (4 models), and shell thickness of 2.5 mm (R-t = 200). The buckling loads and modes of short cylinders with various temperature distribution under transverse shearing loads, such as the main vessel of LMFBR, are revealed through the tests. (author)