Stability of corrugated composite noncircular cylindrical shells under external pressure

Cylindrical shells consisting of cylindrical panels of smaller radius and subjected to uniform external pressure are analyzed for stability. The geometrical parameters of the shells are approximated by Fourier series on a discrete set of points. The Timoshenko theory of shells is used. The solution is represented in the form of trigonometric series. It is shown that short-and medium-length shells with cylindrical panels are advantageous over circular shells. By selecting appropriate parameters of the panels, keeping the mass of the shell constant, it is possible to achieve a significant gain in critical loads. The shells under consideration are less effective than isotropic shells. Shells with sinusoidal corrugation under external pressure are of no practical interest