Abstract
In the previous paper, the authors had formulated a method of FEM modeling which could be applied to coupling analysis of liquid to structure in various FRP cylindrical liquid storage tanks. We employed multi-point constraint equations in the FEM and found that the simulation coincided well with the experimental results. In this paper, the effects of design parameters of FRP cylindrical liquid storage tanks on bulging frequencies are presented. The design parameters, such as a ratio of height/radius, circumferential stiffeners, Young's modulus of FRP, a radius of filet and a thickness distribution along the height are considered. As a result, the design criteria for avoiding the bulging frequencies to market sizes of FRP cylindrical liquid storage tank are presented and their structural safety is demonstrated under Kobe earthquake load.
