Comparative Study on Seismic Response Analysis Methods of Spherical Tanks

Spherical tank is an important storage equipment in petrochemical industry. It is often used to store inflammable and explosive materials. Once it is damaged in the earthquake, it will lead to serious consequences. In this paper, the finite element model of spherical tank is established by ANSYS software. The bottom shear method, mode decomposition method and time history analysis method are used to calculate the strength of spherical tank. The weakest link of the structure under the real earthquake load is determined, which provides the basis for the seismic safety guarantee and structural design of spherical tank. The applicability of the three calculation methods is compared and discussed.