POSTBUCKLING BEHAVIOR OF CROSS-PLY LAMINATED CONICAL AND JOINED CONICAL-CYLINDRICAL SHELLS SUBJECTED TO THERMO-MECHANICAL LOADS

Abstract

Using Green's strains based on Sanders' approximation, the postbuckling behavior of cross-ply laminated composite conical and joined conical-cylindrical shells subjected to thermo-mechanical loads are studied employing the semi-analytical finite element method. The formulation is based on the first-order shear deformation theory and the field consistency principle. The Newton–Raphson iteration technique coupled with the displacement control method is used for the solution of nonlinear governing equations to trace the pre- and post-buckling equilibrium paths. A small magnitude load spatially proportional to the linear buckling mode shape is employed as asymmetric perturbation to initiate the bifurcation of the shell deformation. The influence of semi-cone angle and number of circumferential waves on prebuckling/postbuckling characteristics of cross-ply laminated conical and joined conical-cylindrical shells are investigated.