CHAPTER VII - THIN CYLINDRICAL AND SPHERICAL SHELLS UNDER INTERNAL PRESSURE

Abstract

This chapter presents thin cylindrical and spherical shells under internal pressure. Easy examples of compound stresses are provided by thin cylindrical shells of circular section, or spherical shells, under internal fluid pressure. In such cases the pressure is uniform over the internal surface of the vessel, if the weight of the fluid is disregarded. In general, the shell will experience two principal stresses in directions parallel to the tangent plane at any point; and these stresses will vary in their intensity from the inside to the outside of the shell. When the thickness of the shell is small compared with the diameter, for instance in the case of boilers, one may neglect this variation without sensible error. The shell will also suffer a third stress in the direction of the normal to the surface, which, however, is usually very small compared with either of the other principal stresses. When these conditions are not fulfilled the problem is more difficult.