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Buckling of axially compressed conical shells

The buckling of a truncated elastic conical shell subjected to an axial compression is a classical problem in shell structures. The paper reinvestigates the buckling of an axially compressed truncated conical shell with rigid bulkheads. Two improvements are achieved. First, the condition that the total horizontal displacement must vanish due to rigid bulkhead and axisymmetry is treated as a constraint. This constraint is incorporated into the system through the use of the Lagrange multiplier; then the variational method is used to derive a complete set of boundary conditions for conical shells. Second, the stability is evaluated in the deformed state using the asymptotic solutions of the pair of Donnell-type equations for axisymmetric configuration. The results indicate that the buckling strength of conical shells depends mainly on the condition of the smaller end. In addition to the vertex angle, the distance ratio plays, at least, an equally important role.

Chang, C.-H.

Implementing Geometric Surface Imperfections into Sandwich Composite Cylinder Finite Element Method Models

The buckling responses of certain cylindrical shell structures are extremely sensitive to geometric imperfections. The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor Project (SBKF) is conducting research to develop analysis-based buckling design recommendations. Experiments are used to verify the analysis-based factors, but the sensitivity of the test articles to geometric imperfections requires implementing as-manufactured imperfections into high-fidelity finite element method (FEM) models. Geometry measurement methods such as structured light scanning are used for all geometric surface data used in this work. Common preprocessing and visualization steps used in SBKF are discussed, and steps of how surface scans are prepared for implementation into a finite element model is described. The Python Tool for Implementing Geometric Imperfections in Reduced Structures (Py_TIGIRS), written specifically for the use with SBKF, is briefly described and uses eight functions to extract, modify, and write geometric imperfections into Abaqus input files. Results of the preprocessing methods and results from Py_TIGIRS are provided and compared for Composite Test Articles (CTA) 8.2, 8.2B, and 8.3. Excellent agreement between the visualized scan data and the FEM-extracted geometry is demonstrated. A brief example of why geometric surface imperfections are significant in nonlinear numerical analyses for thin cylinders in axial compression is provided as motivation to use tools such as Py_TIGIRS. Future developments of Py_TIGIRS including expansion to structures of arbitrary geometry is planned.

Geometric imperfections

Implementing Geometric Surface Imperfections into Sandwich Composite Cylinder Finite Element Method Models

The buckling responses of certain cylindrical shell structures are extremely sensitive to geometric surface imperfections. The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor Project (SBKF) is conducting research to develop analysis-based buckling design recommendations. Experiments are used to verify the analysis-based factors, but the sensitivity of the test articles to geometric imperfections requires implementing as-manufactured imperfections into high-fidelity finite element method models. Data collection methods such as structured light scanning are used for all geometric surface data used in this work. Common preprocessing and visualization steps used in SBKF are discussed, and steps on how surface scans are prepared for implementation into a finite element model is described. The Python Tool for Implementing Geometric Imperfections in Reduced Structures (Py_TIGIRS), written specifically for the use with SBKF, is briefly described and uses eight functions to extract, modify, and write geometric imperfections into Abaqus input files. Results of the pre-processing methods and results from Py_TIGIRS are provided and compared for Composite Test Article (CTA) 8.2B. Excellent agreement between the visualized scan data and the FEM-extracted geometry is demonstrated. A brief example of why geometric surface imperfections are significant in nonlinear numerical analyses for thin cylinders in axial compression is provided as motivation to use tools such as Py_TIGIRS. Future development of Py_TIGIRS including expansion to structures of arbitrary geometry is planned.

Sandwich structures

Implementing Geometric Surface Imperfections into Sandwich Composite Cylinder Finite Element Method Models

The buckling responses of certain cylindrical shell structures are extremely sensitive to geometric imperfections. The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor Project (SBKF) is conducting research to develop analysis-based buckling design recommendations. Experiments are used to verify the analysis-based factors, but the sensitivity of the test articles to geometric imperfections requires implementing as-manufactured imperfections into high-fidelity finite element method (FEM) models. Geometry measurement methods such as structured light scanning are used for all geometric surface data used in this work. Common preprocessing and visualization steps used in SBKF are discussed, and steps of how surface scans are prepared for implementation into a finite element model is described. The Python Tool for Implementing Geometric Imperfections in Reduced Structures (Py_TIGIRS), written specifically for the use with SBKF, is briefly described and uses eight functions to extract, modify, and write geometric imperfections into Abaqus input files. Results of the preprocessing methods and results from Py_TIGIRS are provided and compared for Composite Test Articles (CTA) 8.2, 8.2B, and 8.3. Excellent agreement between the visualized scan data and the FEM-extracted geometry is demonstrated. A brief example of why geometric surface imperfections are significant in nonlinear numerical analyses for thin cylinders in axial compression is provided as motivation to use tools such as Py_TIGIRS. Future developments of Py_TIGIRS including expansion to structures of arbitrary geometry is planned.

Geometric imperfections

Effect of a circular hole on the buckling of cylindrical shells loaded by axial compression.

An experimental and analytical investigation of the effect of a circular hole on the buckling of thin cylindrical shells under axial compression was carried out. The experimental results were obtained from tests performed on seamless electroformed copper shells and Mylar shells with a lap joint seam. These results indicated that the character of the shell buckling was dependent on a parameter which is proportional to the hole radius divided by the square root of the product of the shell radius and thickness. For small values of this parameter, there was no apparent effect of the hole on the buckling load. For slightly larger values of the parameter, the shells still buckled into a general collapse configuration, but the buckling loads were sharply reduced as the parameter increased. For still larger values of the parameter, the buckling loads were further reduced, and the shells buckled into a stable local buckling configuration.

Starnes, J. H., Jr.

A Scaling Methodology Applied to Buckling of Sandwich Composite Cylindrical Shells

Studying buckling behavior of large shell structures through full-scale test articles can be complex and expensive. Therefore, reduced scale structures are often preferred to investigate the buckling behavior. However, designing reduced scale structures that are representative of the full-scale structure can be difficult. An analytical scaling methodology for compression-loaded sandwich composite cylindrical shells based on the nondimensionalization of the buckling equations is presented herein. The methodology is used to develop scaled configurations that show similar buckling responses to the full-scale baseline configuration. Finite element analysis results showed that both a baseline and a scaled configuration buckled similarly, when the nondimensional stiffness, defined as the ratio between the nondimensional load and nondimensional displacement, is matched between the different scale models. Limitations of the methodology are discussed and are believed to be a result of neglecting the flexural anisotropy and the transverse shear compliance. A preliminary failure assessment for the different scales is also considered.

Ines Uriol Balbin

Test and Analysis of Full-Scale 27.5-Foot-Diameter Stiffened Metallic Launch Vehicle Cylinders

The Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor Project (SBKF) was established with the goal of developing improved (i.e., less-conservative, more robust) shell buckling knockdown factors (KDFs) for modern launch-vehicle structures. To this end, SBKF has engaged in several activities to support the development, validation, and implementation of the new design factors, including subscale and full-scale structural testing. Tests on eight different subscale, 8-foot-diameter, integrally stiffened aluminum-lithium 2195 (Al-Li 2195) cylinders were conducted in order to obtain the majority of the required validation data. In addition, two full-scale, 27.5-foot-diameter, Al-Li 2195, integrally stiffened cylinders were tested to provide additional validation data and to determine structural scaling trends. Presented herein are the details of a recent analysis model development and test and analysis correlation effort on the full-scale test articles. The effects of selected modeling assumptions and approaches are discussed, and results from a modeling sensitivity study are presented. It was found that simplified finite element models, that assume nominal test article geometry and material properties, can predict the overall response characteristics well. However, several discrepancies in the test and analysis results were observed. A sensitivity study was performed to determine the effects of several modeling assumptions and address the observed discrepancies. The results from the study indicated that the evolution of local skin pocket buckling and the presence of residual stresses due to the manufacturing process can have a significant influence on the predicted buckling response of the cylinders considered.

Lovejoy, Andrew E.

The Effect of Initial Imperfections on the Buckling Stress of Cylindrical Shells

Techniques have been developed for making essentially "perfect" thin cylindrical shells and for making shells with definite types of initial deformations. The "perfect" shells give buckling stresses much higher than have previously been obtained. Initial deformations of the form ∆R= a(o) sin ((πx)/L) have been tested and ranges of positive a(o) were found in which there was no lowering of the buckling stress. Negative values of a(o) caused a decrease in the failure load. A theoretical solution which indicated the same trends as were found experimentally has been carried out.

CYLINDRICAL SHELL

Buckling of cylindrical shells with random imperfections

Buckling of long cylindrical shells with random imperfections subjected to axial loads is treated using the method of truncated hierarchy. A system of homogeneous variational equations is set up to examine the existence of bifurcation in the neighborhood of the equilibrium state. These equations are linear and involve stationary random coefficients. The truncated-hierarchy method is applied, and characteristic equations are obtained. Various exponential cosine correlation functions associated with asymmetric imperfections are examined numerically. Qualitatively, the results obtained are as anticipated.

Fersht, R. S.