Vibration characteristics of cylindrical shells with several axially equispaced constraints

Abstract In this paper we examine the natural frequencies of cylindrical shells with several, equally spaced, circumferentially uniform supports, and their relationship to the natural frequencies of a single segment of the shell (a segment being delimited by contiguous supports). It is found that the natural frequencies of multi-segment shells may be determined from those of the single segment, exactly in the case of clamped support conditions, and approximately in the case of freely simply-supported conditions. In the case of supports constraining only axial and radial motion, on the other hand, the situation is more complex; it is shown how some of the natural frequencies may reasonably be determined from those of the single segment, and the rest estimated.