Buckling of edge-damaged composite cylindrical shells subjected to radial pressure

Abstract

The stability of filament-wound composite cylindrical shells subjected to radial pressure is examined, for the case in which edge-damage is present. The displacement equilibrium equations, based on Flügge's quasi-linear theory, are solved using a finite complex Fourier transform together with the introduction of a displacement function. The zero of a determinantal equation, arising from the nontrivial fulfillment of the boundary conditions, furnishes the value of the critical radial pressure. The edge-damage is modeled by nonuniform boundary conditions. From computed results it is concluded that isotropic shells are capable of withstanding edge-damage up to 50% of their circumference before a reduction in the critical pressure occurs. Anisotropy tends to weaken this sturdiness with all single and bilayered shells considered suffering a fairly sharp drop in the critical pressure sustainable after only up to 20% of the edge is “loosened”. This represents a reversal of the roles of isotropy and anisotropy found by the authors for the case when the shells were subjected to axial compression.