Calculation of composite structures subjected to follower loads by using a geometrically exact shell element

Based on a 7-parameter shell model, a numerical algorithm has been developed for solving the geometrically nonlinear problem of a multilayer composite shell subjected to a follower pressure and undergoing large displacements and rotations. As unknowns, six displacements of the outer surfaces and addition ally the transverse displacement of midsurface of the shell are chosen. This allows one to use the Green–Lagrange strain tensor, introduced earlier by the authors, which exactly represents arbitrarily large rigid-body displacements of the shell in curvilinear coordinates of a reference surface. A geometrically exact solid shell element is formulated, which permits one to solve the nonlinear deformation problem for thin-walled composite structures subjected to a follower pressure by using a very small number of load steps.     

Nonlinear buckling behavior of 3D-braided composite cylindrical shells subjected to internal pressure loads in thermal environments

The nonlinear buckling behavior of a 3D-braided composite cylindrical shell of finite length subjected to internal pressure in thermal environments is considered. According to a new micromacromechanical model, a 3D-braided composite may be treated as a cell system where the geometry of each cell strongly depends on its position in the cross section of the cylindrical shell. The material properties of the epoxy matrix are expressed as linear functions of temperature. The governing equations are based on Reddy’s higher-order shear deformation theory of shells with a von Karman–Donnell-type kinematic nonlinearity and include thermal effects. The singular perturbation technique is employed to determine the buckling pressure and the postbuckling equilibrium paths of the shell.     

Behavior of composite cylindrical shells subjected to nonuniform heating

Nonlinear differential equations describing the thermoelastic behavior of closed orthotropic circular shells under nonuniform heating conditions are obtained; the temperature dependence of the elastic parameters of the material is taken into account. The problem of the stability of a glass-reinforced plastic shell hinged to fixed supports and heated nonuniformly over the thickness is solved. The results of tests on 27–63SV glass-reinforced plastic shells heated and subjected to additional compressive loads at various levels are presented. The theoretical and experimental data are compared.Zukovskii Air Force Engineering Academy. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 2, pp. 284–292, March–April, 1971.     

Contact interaction of cylindrical shells of different lengths

We solve a problem of determination of the contact rigidity of a structural joint of a steel thin-walled pipe under the action of internal pressure with a shroud made of a composite material using a special technology. A mathematical model of the contact interaction of the pipe and shroud modeled by cylindrical shells of different length was constructed using the classical Kirchhoff–Love theory of shells. We obtain an analytic solution of the contact problem under conditions of ideal contact of the elements of the structural joint by the conjugation method. A numerical analysis of the influence of geometric and physicomechanical characteristics of the shroud on the contact pressure and rigidity of the shrouded pipe is presented.     

Deformation of a composite plate on an elastic foundation by local loads

Bending of an elastic annular composite plate with a light filler lying on an elastic foundation is considered. The plate is subjected to local loads. To describe the kinematics of the package, asymmetric across its thickness, the hypotheses of broken normal is accepted. The reaction of foundation is described based on the Winkler model. A system of equilibrium equations is constructed, and its exact solution in displacements is found. Numerical solutions for a metal-polymer sandwich plate are presented. __________ Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 109–120, January–February, 2007.     

Experimental-theoretical analysis of the state of stress and strain of stiffened glass-reinforced plastic shells subjected to local loads

The state of stress and strain of stiffened glass-reinforced plastic shells subjected to local loads applied to the stiffeners is investigated with allowance for interlaminar shear strains over the thickness of the glass-reinforced plastic. The solution is based on Vlasov's semimembrane theory. A comparative experimental-theoretical investigation has been made using models subjected to radial and axial loads and twisting moments.     

Contact of shells with a sharp linear stamp of finite length

The action of a plane, absolutely rigid stamp on a transversely isotropic shell is investigated. The use of the equations of shells with finite shear stiffness enables the correct formulation of the problem of the action on a shell by a stamp of fixed length. The problem is reduced to an integral equation. Applying the Fourier transform, the kernel of the integral equation is represented in the form of an expansion with respect to Chebyshev polynomials. By the representation of the solution of the integral equation in the form of a product, of a series of Chebyshev polynomials and a function that takes into account the singularities of the solution at the boundary of the contact zone, the considered problem is reduced to the solving of an infinite system of linear algebraic equations, whose coefficients have been determined by the methods of numerical integration. As an example a problem for a cylindrical shell has been solved.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Prikladnaya Mekhanika, No. 20, pp. 59–63, 1989.     

Effect of material properties on the stability of transversely isotropic shells with an elastic filler subjected to the action of mechanical loads and temperature

The effect of the low shear strength of the material (glass-reinforced plastic) on the stability of cylindrical shells with an elastic filler is investigated in relation to axial compression, external pressure, and heating. The equations of the thermoelastic problem of the theory of monotropic shells, constructed with allowance for the effect of tangential shearing stresses, are used in the calculations.Physicomechanical Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, L'vov. L'vov Polytechnic Institute. Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR, Riga. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 5, pp. 903–907, September–October, 1970.     

Piezoelectric energy harvesting from vibrations of a beam subjected to multi-moving loads

This study is intended to investigate piezoelectric energy harvesting from vibrations of a beam induced by multi-moving loads. Various multi-moving loads are analyzed by considering various parameters. The system of equations for electro-mechanical materials is derived by using the generalized Hamilton's principle under the assumptions of the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory. The electromechanical behavior of piezoelectric harvesters in a unimorph configuration is analyzed using finite element method. The Newmark's explicit integration technique is adopted for the transient analysis. The predictions of the results of the finite element models are verified by that of the available solutions. The effects of piezoelectric bonding location, velocity and number of moving loads as well as time lags between moving loads on the produced power are investigated. The numerical results show that the investigated parameters have significant effects on the energy harvesting from a vibration of beams under the action of multi-moving loads.     

Two-dimensional thermoelastic analysis of beams with variable thickness subjected to thermo-mechanical loads

Two-dimensional thermoelastic analysis for simply supported beams with variable thickness and subjected to thermo-mechanical loads is investigated. An approximate analytical method is proposed. Firstly, the heat conduction equation is analytically solved to obtain the temperature distributions for two kinds of boundary conditions at the beam ends, which are the harmonic series with unknown coefficients. Then the two-dimensional equilibrium differential equations are analytically solved to obtain the displacement component series with unknown coefficients and the stress component series is obtained. The unknown coefficients in the temperature series and the stress component series are approximately determined by using the upper surface and lower surface conditions of the beam. With the proposed procedure, the solutions satisfy the governing differential equations, the loading conditions, and the simply supported end conditions. The proposed solution method shows a good convergence and the results agree well with those obtained from the commercial finite element software ANSYS. Several examples are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution method. The simultaneous effects of temperature change and applied mechanical load on the behavior of the beam are examined.     

Optimal reinforcement schemes for cylindrical glass-plastic shells subjected to a temperature field

Conclusions In the design of shells with an optimum structure one must take into account the variation of the winding angle over the thickness as a result of nonuniform heating of the shell and temperature-dependent changes in the elastic properties. The changes in this angle due to heating are appreciable (up to 12% in our example shown here).Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 4, pp. 681–686, July–August, 1976.