Random Response Analysis of a Large-Size Cooling Tower Subjected to the Stationary Earthquake Motion

Abstract

The response of a large-size cooling tower with 250m high subjected to the seismic action are investigated by both random vibration theory and response spectrum method. Shell element is taken to model the tower body, and beam element is used for the circular foundation and supporting columns. The earthquake motion input is a colored filtered white noise model and mode superposition method is adopted to analyze the random response of the large-size cooling tower. The paper presents the power spectrum density functions (PDF) and standard deviation of the displacement of the top and characteristic node, and the analysis results indicate that the results of the stationary random vibration theory and the response spectrum method are the same order of magnitude. The power spectrum density function of the bottom node stress is obviously bigger than the one at the top and the throat, and the random response of meridonal stress is dominated at the top. In addition, the peak frequency position of the power spectrum density function is different from the corresponding stress.