Nonlinear stability analysis of shallow cylindrical shells with initial imperfections

The present article describes numerical procedures for geometrically nonlinear stability analysis of shallow flexible cylindrical shells. Computing models are based on the theory of plates with account of transverse shear deformations. The finite difference energy method of discretization is used for reducing the continuum problem to finite dimensional problem. Solution procedures for discrete nonlinear problem are based on initial value formulation. The solution of Cauchy problem is performed using the self-correcting Runge-Kutta method with the constrained equation. For stability analysis of shells with initial imperfections small asymmetric perturbations are introduced in the initial conditions of the Cauchy problem for finding asymmetric shapes of shell equilibrium.