Dynamic Characteristics of Switchboard Cabinets Subjected to Earthquakes Using Numerical Models: A study of evaluating seismic effects on nonstructural components

摘要

Electric switchboards are essential pieces of equipment that manage and control the building electrical power system. For the evaluation of seismic vulnerability of electrical equipment, conventional shake table testing or highly detailed finite element models have practical and economical limitations due to the many different configurations of electrical switchboards. To address this problem, this study suggests simplified numerical models for characterizing the dynamic performance of switchboard cabinets.Numerical models for switchboard cabinets are generated using the finite element approach, and their nonlinear dynamic behavior is analyzed considering the material properties of cabinet frames, force-deformation of bolted connections, and the anchored constraint conditions. Through nonlinear time history analysis, seismic responses of the cabinets are investigated. It is found that the proposed model is capable of including nonlinear effects of switchboard cabinets while requiring low computational demand.