Analysis, Simulation and Experimental Study of the Tensile Stress Calibration of Ceramic Cylindrical Pressure Housings

Abstract

Engineering ceramics have extremely high values for both specific modulus and specific compressive strength, making them one of the most promising materials for enhancing the carrying capability of full ocean depth (FOD) submersibles. However, due to the low tensile strength of most ceramic materials, the tensile stress generated at the contact surface of ceramic pressure housings under hydrostatic pressure may exceed the material’s limits and thus lead to cracking failure. Currently, there are no valid calibration methods for the tensile stress caused by material discontinuities at the contact surface. In this paper, an approximate model is established based on contact mechanics. The absolute error of the approximate model, as verified by the simulation results for nine groups of ceramic pressure housings, does not exceed 14.2%. It is also concluded that the smaller the difference in Young’s modulus between the ceramics and metals, the higher the tensile strength safety factor. In addition, two hydrostatic pressure experiments were carried out to further verify the results of the approximate model and the numerical solutions. The approximate model is oriented to the reliable design of ceramic pressure housings. It will play an important role in improving the carrying capacity and observation capability of FOD submersibles.