Parametric Study of an Equatorially Anchored Deepwater Fluid-Filled Periodic Symmetric Shell with Constraint Volume

Abstract

AbstractIn the study, a two-dimensional closed shell containing fully incompressible fluid is modeled to investigate the behavior of an equatorially anchored deepwater shell storage container. The volume constraint conditions of the shell and contained fluid due to the several external loadings are taken into consideration. The shell, which is installed in deepwater by using anchors at its equator, is assumed to be interacting with the rigid foundation. Since the shell is subjected to periodic anchored forces, the deformed configuration is dependent on the tangential, normal, and circumferential displacements. Therefore, two-dimensional elements are used for investigating the displacements in the shell. Differential geometry is introduced to compute the shell geometry, and small displacement theory is used to calculate the initial strain. The energy functional of the shell and internal fluid are derived from the principle of virtual work in terms of displacements, and are expressed in the appropriate form...