Experiment and numerical analysis of crashworthiness of the double-skin side structure on a nuclear power platform

  Objectives  This study aims to explore the crashworthiness of a nuclear power platform's double-skin side structure.

  Methods  Finite element models of the full platform and partial double-skin side structure are established respectively, and the collision is carried out using LS-DYNA software. Based on the simulation analysis, a scale quasi-static squeeze test model is designed, and the quasi-static squeeze test of the double-skin side structure is carried out and compared with the numerical simulation.

  Results  The results show that for low-speed ship collisions, the structural response calculated using the local double-skin side structure model is basically consistent with that calculated using the whole ship model; thus, the quasi-static scaled test results are in good agreement with the numerical simulation results and can reflect the characteristics and structural deformation mode, thereby verifying the numerical simulation method. Meanwhile, the test results show that the double-skin side structure of the nuclear power platform remains intact when colliding with a 5 000 ton class ship at a speed of 2 m/s, which means that it has good crashworthiness.

  Conclusions  This study shows that using a local double-skin side structure model to calculate collision response has high accuracy and greatly reduces the modelling and calculation workloads. The results of this study can provide valuable references for structural crashworthiness design in marine engineering.