The non-linear deformation and stability of elliptical cylindrical shells under transverse bending

A finite-element formulation of the solution of problems of the stability of non-circular cylindrical shells taking into account their bending moments and the non-linearity of their precritical stress-strain state in proposed. Explicit expressions for the displacements of the elements of non-circular cylindrical shells as rigid bodies are derived by integration of the equations obtained by equating the components of the linear strains to zero. These expressions are used to construct shape functions of an effective quadrilateral finite element of the natural curvature. An effective algorithm is developed for investigating the non-linear deformation and stability of the shells. The stability of a cylindrical shell of elliptical cross-section under transverse bending is investigated. The influence of the ellipticity and non-linearity of the deformation on the shell's stability is determined. The results of the analysis are compared with experimental data.