Institute of Fundamental Technological Research

Damage identification for liquid–solid coupling structures remains a challenging topic due to the influence of liquid and the limitation of experimental conditions. Therefore, the adding mass method for damage identification is employed in this study. Adding mass to structures is an effective method for damage identification, as it can increase not only the experimental data but also the sensitivity of experimental modes to local damage. First, the fundamental theory of the adding mass method for damage identification is introduced. After that, the method of equating the liquid to the attached mass is proposed by considering the liquid–solid coupling. Finally, the effectiveness and reliability of damage identification, based on adding mass for liquid–solid coupling structures, are verified through experiments of a submerged cantilever beam and liquid storage tank.

structural health monitoring, damage identification, liquid-solid coupling, adding mass, sensitivity

This research proposes a damage identification approach for storage tanks that is based on adding virtual masses. First, the frequency response function of a structure with additional virtual masses is deduced based on the Virtual Distortion Method (VDM). Subsequently, a Finite Element (FE) model of a storage tank is established to verify the proposed method; the relation between the added virtual masses and the sensitivity of the virtual structure is analyzed to determine the optimal mass and the corresponding frequency with the highest sensitivity with respect to potential damages. Thereupon, the damage can be localized and quantified by comparing the damage factors of substructures. Finally, an experimental study is conducted on a storage tank. The results confirm that the proposed method is feasible and practical, and that it can be applied for damage identification of storage tanks.

damage identification, storage tanks, sensitivity analysis, frequency

A damage identification method based on additional virtual masses was proposed aiming at storage tanks' features of space-symmetry, dense lower-order modes and being insensitive to local damages. Firstly, magnitudes of additional masses were determined through sensitivity analysis of storage tanks' structural modes. Then based on the virtual deflection method (VDM), the tanks' frequency responses after attaching additional virtual masses were constructed and their natural frequencies were identified with the original structures' excitation time histories and the original structures' corresponding positions' acceleration response time histories. Furthermore, using the tanks' features of space-symmetry, their damage positions were preliminarily determined according to the distribution law of their natural frequencies after attaching virtual masses. The sensitivity analysis of the tanks' finite element model was used to solve iteratively damages' level. Finally, the tanks' finite element models were used to perform numerical simulations and correctly predict their damage locations and levels. The effectiveness of this proposed method was verified.

storage tanks, damage identification, sensitivity analysis, frequency