Nonlinear Buckling and Postbuckling of a FGM Toroidal Shell Segment Under a Torsional Load in a Thermal Environment Within Reddy’s Third-Order Shear Deformation Shell Theory

Abstract

The nonlinear buckling and postbuckling of FGM toroidal shell segments surrounded by elastic foundations in a thermal environment and subjected to a torsional load are investigated by an analytical method. Based on Reddy’s third-order shear deformation shell theory (TSDT) with geometrical nonlinearity in the von Karman sense, the governing equations are derived. Using the Galerkin method and a stress function, closed-form expressions for determining the critical torsional load and postbuckling load–deflection curves are obtained. Effects of the geometrical shape, material properties, temperature field, and foundation parameters on the stability of the shells are examined in detail.