Frictional buckling analyses of a slender rod constrained in a horizontal cylinder

Abstract

In this paper we have discussed the frictional buckling behavior of a slender rod constrained in a horizontal cylinder. Buckling and post-buckling behaviors including the onset of helical buckling and subsequent axial force transfer are interpreted in a new way. Helical buckling and concomitant low force transfer efficiency which would prevent further axial extended reach is important to engineering structures, such as coiled tubing operations in petroleum industry. By means of the beam-column method, new governing differential equation of frictional buckling are derived to predict critical buckling force. We also investigate the transfer efficiency of axial force quantifying the effect of axial friction on rod lockup phenomenon in post-buckling analyses by perturbation solution. The coupling effect between axial force and friction is solved for the first time in this paper. The bending moment at the lock-up limit which would cause the rod to rupture is also analyzed. Finally, we have compared the proposed model with experimental results to verify its validity. Through these analyses, we have provided another interpretation to the existing experiment and numerical simulation results of frictional buckling. The derived results are simple and convenient for a problem in industrial practice.