IMPERFECTION SENSITIVITY OF THIN ELASTIC CYLINDRICAL SHELLS SUBJECT TO PARTIAL AXIAL COMPRESSION

Abstract The paper addresses the buckling of an elastic cylinder under non-uniform axial compression applied at one boundary. It presents a systematic numerical investigation of the nonlinear load carrying behavior and imperfection sensitivity of the shell when a non-uniform axial load is applied to one end in the form of two equal-length uniformly loaded zones, diametrically opposite each other. Four imperfection forms are examined: the linear bifurcation mode, the nonlinear buckling mode, several post-buckling deformed shapes for the perfect shell, and a weld depression. Additional aspects, such as the influence of the weld depression position and its wavelength are also investigated. Special attention is given to the mesh convergence study and the sign of the imperfection amplitude. The numerical results demonstrate that the mode of the lowest linear bifurcation load is not always the `worst' imperfection form. It is also shown that the critical position for a weld depression can be approximately located by examining the nonlinear buckling mode of the perfect shell and that the weld depression generally causes the lowest buckling load for this load case.

[1]  James H. Starnes,et al.  Collapse of Long Cylindrical Shells under Combined Bending and Pressure Loads , 1974 .

[2]  J. M. Rotter,et al.  Buckling strength of thin cylindrical shells under localised axial compression , 2002 .

[3]  P. Seide,et al.  On the Buckling of Circular Cylindrical Shells Under Pure Bending , 1961 .

[4]  H. Saal.  Buckling of Long Liquid-Filled Cylindrical Shells , 1982 .

[5]  Russell Q. Bridge,et al.  Buckling of Thin-Walled Silos and Tanks under Axial Load—Some New Aspects , 2001 .

[6]  Xiaoli Ding,et al.  The shape of circumferential weld-induced imperfections in thin-walled steel silos and tanks , 2001 .

[7]  Jin-Guang Teng,et al.  Buckling of Thin Shells: Recent Advances and Trends , 1996 .

[8]  J. M. Rotter.  Buckling of Ground-Supported Cylindrical Steel Bins under Vertical Compressive Wall Loads , 1985 .

[9]  R. C. Tennyson,et al.  Buckling of axisymmetric imperfect circular cylindrical shells underaxial compression , 1969 .

[10]  David Durban,et al.  Buckling of Cylindrical Shells Subjected to Nonuniform Axial Loads , 1977 .

[11]  Archibald N. Sherbourne,et al.  Buckling of Cylindrical Shells Under Axial Compression , 1967 .

[12]  C. R. Calladine,et al.  Imperfections and buckling in cylindrical shells with consistent residual stresses , 2000 .

[13]  J. Michael Rotter,et al.  Buckling of Pressurized Axisymmetrically Imperfect Cylinders under Axial Loads , 1992 .

[14]  Russell Q. Bridge,et al.  The influence of circumferential weld-induced imperfections on the buckling of silos and tanks , 2001 .

[15]  J. M. Rotter,et al.  Buckling of thin metal shells , 2004 .

[16]  J. M. Rotter,et al.  The Behaviour of Locally-Supported Cylindrical Shells: Unstiffened Shells , 2000 .

[17]  J. F. Jullien,et al.  Buckling of shell structures, on land, in the sea, and in the air , 1991 .

[18]  J. M. Rotter.  Elastic plastic buckling and collapse in internally pressurised axially compressed silo cylinders with measured axisymmetric imperfections: interactions between imperfections, residual stresses and collapse , 1996 .

[19]  Ekkehard Ramm,et al.  Buckling of Shells , 1982 .

[20]  J. Michael Rotter,et al.  Shell structures: the new European standard and current research needs , 1998 .

[21]  Sergio Pellegrino,et al.  New approaches to structural mechanics, shells and biological structures , 2002 .

[22]  Pierre-Olivier Antoine,et al.  Comportement des coques cylindriques minces sous chargements combinés : vers une amélioration du dimensionnement sous flexion et pression interne , 2000 .

[23]  Jin-Guang Teng,et al.  Numerical models for nonlinear analysis of elastic shells with eigenmode-affine imperfections , 2001 .

[24]  J. M. Rotter.  Pressurised axially compressed cylinders , 1997 .

[25]  Xiaoli Ding,et al.  Technique for precise measurement of large-scale silos and tanks , 1996 .

[26]  S. Timoshenko.  Theory of Elastic Stability , 1936 .

[27]  Aviv Rosen,et al.  Effect of Axisymmetric Imperfections on the Vibrations of Cylindrical Shells under Axial Compression , 1974 .

[28]  Eugene E Lundquiest.  Strength Tests of Thin-Walled Duralumin Cylinders in Combined Transverse Shear and Bending , 1935 .

[29]  W. T. Koiter.  THE STABILITY OF ELASTIC EQUILIBRIUM , 1970 .

[30]  Xiaoli Ding,et al.  The Measurement of Imperfections in Cylindrical Silos for Buckling Strength Assessment , 1992 .

[31]  J. M. Rotter,et al.  Buckling of cylindrical tank shells under local axial compression stresses , 2003 .

[32]  G. Simitses,et al.  Elastic stability of circular cylindrical shells , 1984 .

[33]  R. Greiner,et al.  Effect of imperfections on wind-loaded cylindrical shells , 1995 .

[34]  E. Riks.  An incremental approach to the solution of snapping and buckling problems , 1979 .

[35]  J. Teng,et al.  Elastic Stability of Cylindrical Shells with Weld Depressions , 1989 .

[36]  F. A. Brogan,et al.  On the solution of mode jumping phenomena in thin walled shell structures , 1996 .

[37]  W. Flügge.  Stresses in Shells , 1960 .

[38]  J. M. Rotter,et al.  Compression tests on cylinders with circumferential weld depressions , 2000 .

[39]  Jga Croll,et al.  Elastic-plastic buckling design of cylindrical shells subject to combined axial compression and pressure loading , 1986 .