Abstract

Circular steel reservoirs are used extensively for storing petroleum products, water and grains. Additional to uniform thermal loading, gradient thermal loading from sunshine varying angle during day and various seasons is one of important loadings that should be taken into account in design of these reservoirs. In this paper, using finite element modeling of cylindrical steel reservoirs with various height-to-diameter ratios with constant volume of reservoirs, thermal loading in two forms, uniform and gradient loads are applied, and, induced displacement and stresses are compared.

Key words: Steel reservoirs, finite element modeling, thermal load, gradient load.