Buckling identification in composite cylindrical shells with measured imperfections using a Multi-DIC method and finite element analysis

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the global–local buckling phenomenon with the aid of a multi-Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique. First, the multi-DIC technique was introduced to conduct 360-degree full-field deformation measurement of shell structures. Second, we performed the axial compression on cylindrical shells made of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) to investigate the global–local buckling phenomenon. To confirm our experimental results, we conducted a finite element analysis of CFRP cylindrical shells with measured imperfections. In the case of a perfect shell under perfect loading, theoretically only global buckling occurs. However, manufactured cylindrical shells cannot be perfect and tend to have a few imperfections, which cause local buckling of the shell. To better confirm the experimental results, an extensive numerical analysis was performed with actual measured imperfections.