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U.S. Department of Energy
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BUCKLING OF A THIN CIRCULAR CYLINDRICAL SHELL HEATED ALONG AN AXIAL STRIP

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4174518

The buckling of a thin circular cylindrical shell heated along a narrow strip in the axial direction is considered. The problem was solved using the Ritz method, assuming for the displacements Fourier series modified by a shnpe factor chosen to magnify the solution in the vicinity of the heated strip. The convergence rate of the solution was found to be greatly increased by the shape factor. In the analysis of the stress distribution, the cylinder is assumed to be simply supported on its ends so thnt the radial and circumferential displacements there are zero, but the axial displacements and end rotations are not restricted. In the calculation of the stability, a simplified thermal stress distribution is assumed which is the one prevailing in the middle of the cylinder. The stresses are assumed to vary around the circumference but to be constant in the axial direction. Expressions are given relating the physical parameters of the cylinder, the temperature distribution, and the magnitude of the temperature causing buckling. Experimental results are presented for buckling tests on eleven cylinders. The experimental results were in reasonable agreement with the theoretical calculations. The modified Fourier series assumed for the displacements are shown to converge to the true solution as the number of terms included becomes indefinitely large. For practical purposes the convergence is so rapid that a single term gives results correct to within a few percent. Courant's maximum-minimum principle is used to establish that the buckling stress for a cylinder under uniform axial compression is a lower bound for all other cases of axial loading, provided that the buckling stress is taken as the maximum compressive stress on the cross section. (auth)

Research Organization:
Stanford Univ., Calif.
NSA Number:
NSA-14-019567
OSTI ID:
4174518
Report Number(s):
SUDAER-88; AFOSR-TN-59-1250
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English