Nonlinear buckling and postbuckling of heated functionally graded cylindrical shells under combined axial compression and radial pressure

Abstract The nonlinear large deflection theory of cylindrical shells is extended to discuss nonlinear buckling and postbuckling behaviors of functionally graded (FG) cylindrical shells which are synchronously subjected to axial compression and lateral loads. In this analysis, the non-linear strain–displacement relations of large deformation and the Ritz energy method are used. The material properties of the shells vary smoothly through the shell thickness according to a power law distribution of the volume fraction of the constituent materials. Meanwhile, by taking the temperature-dependent material properties into account, various effects of external thermal environment are also investigated. The non-linear critical condition is found by defining the possible lowest point of external force. Numerical results show various effects of the inhomogeneous parameter, dimensional parameters and external thermal environments on non-linear buckling behaviors of combine-loaded FG cylindrical shells. In addition, the postbuckling equilibrium paths are also plotted for axially loaded pre-pressured FG cylindrical shells and there is an interesting mode jump exhibited.