STRESS-ANALYSES OF LAMINATED THICK-WALLED CYLINDRICAL ANISOTROPIC SHELLS

A simple and accurate finite cylindrical element method is formulated for obtaining stresses and deformations in laminated thick-walled cylindrical anisotropic shells. This method effectively reduces the three-dimensional problem to a one-dimensional problem. The method is illustrated by the study of a thick-walled cylindrical shell composed of graphite/epoxy, with a (90-degrees-5/0-degrees-5/90-degrees-5)8 stacking sequence, subjected to an external uniform pressure. It is found that significant tensile radial strains occur near the inner surface, which can cause a failure of the shell. It is also found that these tensile strains are functions of the Poisson's ratios of the composite material. Therefore, in design, choosing materials with smaller Poisson's ratios alleviates this problem.