Buckling Analysis of Composite Cylindrical Shells with Multiple Cutouts

Abstract

The aim of the study is to analyze the effect on the critical buckling load for the cylindrical shell with multiple cutouts which are subjected to compressive loading. The study will focus on the effect of the shape of the cutout including circular, rectangular and the elliptical. The effect of the cross sectional area of the cutout will be analyzed using the buckling analysis and the position of the cutout will be changed in axial direction to see the effect on the critical buckling load value. The research will focus primarily upon the effects of the geometry of the cutouts and how these factors will affect the critical buckling strength of the cylindrical shell. The material used in the cylindrical shell is composite which has fixed number of plies and the orientation. The composite material has been modelled using the Ansys Composite PrepPost and the Linear Eigenvalue buckling analysis has been carried out in the Ansys. The buckling analysis in this case uses the linear assumptions and therefore is suitable for small deformations. The results obtained from the Finite Element analysis gives more buckling stability without any cutout on the cylinder but there has been a reduction in the buckling strength when the cutout is introduced. The rectangular cutout has the lowest buckling strength while the elliptical and circular cutouts are more resistive to buckling at lower modes of failure. By increasing the cross sectional area the circular cutout is not suitable for large cross section since there is significant reduction in the buckling strength is observed. Similarly by changing the position of the cutout along the axial axis the percentage reduction in buckling strength is highest for the circular cutout. The main conclusion is that for small cross sectional area the elliptical cutout has more buckling strength as well as the circular cutout. By increasing the cross sectional area or changing the axial position of the cutout the circular cross section has less stiffness to withstand the axial compressive forces.