Development of Methodology for Seismic Qualification of Dhruva Reactor Components

Safety critical systems and components in a nuclear plant are to be qualified for expected seismic activity at the site. This ensures safety in case of any expected seismic event. IEEE STD 344 allows for seismic qualification by analysis and testing. Testing is carried out by mounting the device on a shaker to simulate earthquake ground motion. This paper discusses the methodology for seismic qualification of components using the electrodynamic shaker. Power spectral density is first obtained from site response spectrum using analytical methods. The PSD profile is used to generate the ground response in the form of random vibrations. Device response to the applied ground motion is recorded during experimentation. The comparison between the performance of the component before, during and after seismic testing is used for qualification purpose.