Influence of initial geometrical imperfections on vibrations of axially compressed stiffened cylindrical shells

The vibrations of stiffened cylindrical shells having axisymmetric or asymmetric initial geometrical imperfections and axial preload are analyzed. The analysis is based on a solution of the von Kárman-Donnell non-linear shell equations, an “exact” solution of the compatibility equation, and a first order approximation by the Galerkin method of the equilibrium equation. The stiffeners are closely spaced and “smeared” stiffener theory is employed. The results of an extensive parametric study carried out on shells similar to those used in vibration and buckling tests at the Technion show that stiffening of the shell will lower the imperfection-sensitivity of its free vibrations, but the decrease depends on the type of stiffening (stringers or rings), the mode shapes of the vibration and the imperfection, the stiffener strength and eccentricity. The imperfection-sensitivity decrease, caused by the stiffeners, is greater for vibration mode shapes with high imperfection-sensitivity than for other vibration mode shapes. The sensitivity differences between stringer and ring-stiffened shells depend especially on the vibration and the imperfection mode shapes, and on their coupling. Small imperfections change the natural frequencies of stiffened shells in the same directions as for isotropic shells, but to a smaller extent. The frequency dependence on the external load is also strongly affected by the imperfection mode shape. The results correlate well with earlier ones for isotropic shells.