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At least 271 records · Page 15

A quadrilateral shell element using a mixed formulation

A simple quadrilateral shell element consisting of five nodes, four corner nodes and a central node, is developed for linear elastic analysis of thin as well as moderately thick shells. Based on a modified Hellinger-Reissner principle, finite element equations are derived from the assumed displacement and strain fields. By carefully choosing appropriate strain terms, all kinematic deformation modes are suppressed. Although the present element is similar to a displacement-based degenerated shell, no locking is experienced when it is applied to thin shell problems. Five examples are given to illustrate the analysis capability of the shell element. Numerical results indicate that the element shows fast mesh convergence and gives excellent stress predictions.

Saleeb, A. F.↗

Domes on Europa: The Role of Thermally Induced Compositional Diapirism

The surface of Europa is peppered by topographic domes, interpreted as sites of intrusion and extrusion. Diapirism is consistent with dome morphology, but thermal buoyancy alone cannot produce sufficient driving pressures to create the observed dome elevations. Instead, we suggest that diapirs may initiate by thermal convection that induces compositional segregation within Europa's ice shell. This double-diffusive convection scenario allows sufficient buoyancy for icy plumes to create the observed surface topography, if the ice shell has a very small effective elastic thickness (approximately 0.1 to 0.5 km) and contains low-eutectic-point impurities at the percent level. Thermal buoyancy, compositional buoyancy and double-diffusive convection are discussed.

Pappalardo, R. T.↗

Post-buckling behavior of cylindrical shells. part iii. torsion

This is a continuation of two monographs bearing the same general title already published by the author under the auspices of the Publishing House of Khar'kov University. It deals with the elastic post-buckling behavior of a cylindrical shell stressed in torsion. In particular, the critical loads are determined. Generally speaking, the exposition is on an elementary level and intended for a wide circle of readers with a knowledge of the elements of shell theory and differential geometry. It will prove useful to design engineers, mechanical engineering students, and scientists interested in the theory of shells.

BUCKLING↗

Short and medium range structure in elastic deformation of metallic and covalent glasses

Here, we present a concise methodology to analyze structural response to the applied stress in amorphous solids, including metallic glasses (MG), glassy selenium, silica and polycarbonate, using high energy x-ray diffraction and atomic pair distribution function (PDF) analysis. To assess the structural anisotropy induced by applied axial stress, diffraction data were expanded into spherical harmonics. Using Bessel transformation, components of the structure function were converted into isotropic and anisotropic PDFs. The PDFs were compared to the expected model behavior for ideal elastic deformation to separate homogeneous affine strain from local non-affine strains. In metallic glass the range of non-affine deformation is limited to the nearest neighbor shell, suggesting local strain relaxation under stress that occurs even in the elastic regime. Beyond the second atomic shell strain is uniform. However, in glassy silica, polycarbonate and selenium strong local bonding inhibits local displacements and strain in short range order is accommodated by rotation of local units. Interestingly, beyond a molecular unit, deformation in covalent systems is similar to MG, and response of the medium range order scales with the macroscopic stress.

glassy structure↗

The crack problem in a reinforced cylindrical shell

In this paper a partially reinforced cylinder containing an axial through crack is considered. The reinforcement is assumed to be fully bonded to the main cylinder. The composite cylinder is thus modelled by a nonhomogeneous shell having a step change in the elastic properties at the z=0 plane, z being the axial coordinate. Using a Reissner type transverse shear theory the problem is reduced to a pair of singular integral equations. In the special case of a crack tip touching the bimaterial interface it is shown that the dominant parts of the kernels of the integral equations associated with both membrane loading and bending of the shell reduce to the generalized Cauchy kernel obtained for the corresponding plane stress case. The integral equations are solved and the stress intensity factors are given for various crack and shell dimensions. A bonded fiberglass reinforcement which may serve as a crack arrestor is used as an example.

Yahsi, O. S.↗

The crack problem in a reinforced cylindrical shell

A partially reinforced cylinder containing an axial through crack is considered. The reinforcement is assumed to be fully bonded to the main cylinder. The composite cylinder is thus modelled by a nonhomogeneous shell having a step change in the elastic properties at the z = 0 plane, z being the axial coordinate. Using a Reissner type transverse shear theory the problem is reduced to a pair of singular integral equations. In the special case of a crack tip touching the bimaterial interface it is shown that the dominant parts of the kernels of the integral equations associated with both membrane loading and bending of the shell reduce to the generalized Cauchy kernel obtained for the corresponding plane stress case. The integral equations are solved and the stress intensity factors are given for various crack and shell dimensions. A bonded fiberglass reinforcement which may serve as a crack arrestor is used as an example.

Yahsi, O. S.↗

Structural Performance of Advanced Composite Tow-Steered Shells With Cutouts

The structural performance of two advanced composite tow-steered shells with cutouts, manufactured using an automated fiber placement system, is assessed using both experimental and analytical methods. The shells' fiber orientation angles vary continuously around their circumference from +/-10 degrees on the crown and keel, to +/-45 degrees on the sides. The raised surface features on one shell result from application of all 24 tows during each fiber placement system pass, while the second shell uses the system's tow drop/add capability to achieve a more uniform wall thickness. These unstiffened shells were previously tested in axial compression and buckled elastically. A single cutout, scaled to represent a passenger door on a commercial aircraft, is then machined into one side of each shell. The prebuckling axial stiffnesses and bifurcation buckling loads of the shells with cutouts are also computed using linear finite element structural analyses for initial comparisons with test data. When retested, large deflections were observed around the cutouts, but the shells carried an average of 92 percent of the axial stiffness, and 86 percent of the buckling loads, of the shells without cutouts. These relatively small reductions in performance demonstrate the potential for using tow steering to mitigate the adverse effects of typical design features on the overall structural performance.

Wu, K. Chauncey↗

A preliminary investigation of finite-element modeling for composite rotor blades

The results from an initial phase of an in-house study aimed at improving the dynamic and aerodynamic characteristics of composite rotor blades through the use of elastic couplings are presented. Large degree of freedom shell finite element models of an extension twist coupled composite tube were developed and analyzed using MSC/NASTRAN. An analysis employing a simplified beam finite element representation of the specimen with the equivalent engineering stiffness was additionally performed. Results from the shell finite element normal modes and frequency analysis were compared to those obtained experimentally, showing an agreement within 13 percent. There was appreciable degradation in the frequency prediction for the torsional mode, which is elastically coupled. This was due to the absence of off-diagonal coupling terms in the formulation of the equivalent engineering stiffness. Parametric studies of frequency variation due to small changes in ply orientation angle and ply thickness were also performed. Results showed linear frequency variations less than 2 percent per 1 degree variation in the ply orientation angle, and 1 percent per 0.0001 inch variation in the ply thickness.

Lake, Renee C.↗

A preliminary investigation of finite-element modeling for composite rotor blades

The results from an initial phase of an in-house study aimed at improving the dynamic and aerodynamic characteristics of composite rotor blades through the use of elastic couplings are presented. Large degree of freedom shell finite element models of an extension twist coupled composite tube were developed and analyzed using MSC/NASTRAN. An analysis employing a simplified beam finite element representation of the specimen with the equivalent engineering stiffness was additionally performed. Results from the shell finite element normal modes and frequency analysis were compared to those obtained experimentally, showing an agreement within 13 percent. There was appreciable degradation in the frequency prediction for the torsional mode, which is elastically coupled. This was due to the absence of off-diagonal coupling terms in the formulation of the equivalent engineering stiffness. Parametric studies of frequency variation due to small changes in ply orientation angle and ply thickness were also performed. Results showed linear frequency variations less than 2 percent per 1 degree variation in the ply orientation angle, and 1 percent per 0.0001 inch variation in the ply thickness.

Lake, Renee C.↗