A Study of the Effect of Imperfections on Buckling Capability in Thin Cylindrical Shells Under Axial Loading

by Lauren Kougias An Engineering Project Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ENGINEERING IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Approved: _________________________________________ Ernesto Gutierrez-Miravete, Project Adviser

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Hartford, CT December, 2009

 Copyright 2009 by Lauren Kougias All Rights Reserved

CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................. 4 LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... 5 LIST OF SYMBOLS......................................................................................................... 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT................................................................................................. 7 ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... 8 1. Introduction.................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 Problem Description .......................................................................................... 2 Methodology ...................................................................................................... 3 Expected Outcomes............................................................................................ 4

2. Buckling of a Thin Cylinder Under Axial Compression ............................................. 5 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Modeling ............................................................................................................ 5 Theoretical Solution........................................................................................... 6 Eigenvalue Buckling Solution and Mesh Density Study ................................... 8 Nonlinear Buckling Analysis ........................................................................... 12

3. Conclusions................................................................................................................ 18 4. References.................................................................................................................. 19 5. Appendix A Nonlinear Buckling Results ............................................................... 20

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Material Properties for AMS 4928 (Ti 6-4)........................................................ 5 Table 2. Eigenvalue Buckling Mesh Density Study Results .......................................... 12 Table 3. Nonlinear Buckling Results.............................................................................. 15

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Definition of Ovalized, or "Out of Round" ....................................................... 3 Figure 2. Deformation of a fully integrated, linear element (a) and a fully integrated, quadratic element (b) subjected to bending moment M .................................................... 9 Figure 3. Finite Element Model Boundary Conditions .................................................... 6 Figure 4. Proportional loading with unstable response. ................................................... 7 Figure 5. First Six Eigenvalue Mode Shapes.................................................................. 10 Figure 6. Eigenvalue Buckling Mode Four Deflections................................................. 11 Figure 7. Convergence of Eigenvalue Buckling Results vs. Element Size .................... 12 Figure 8. Displacement and Von Mises Stress for Nonlinear Buckling Analysis in Perfect Cylinder ............................................................................................................... 14 Figure 9. Effect of Ovalization on Buckling Capability................................................. 15 Figure 10. Axial displacement and Von Mises Stress for Nonlinear Buckling Analysis in Cylinder, e = 50% shell thickness.................................................................................... 16 Figure 11. Load vs. Displacement Curve for Nonlinear Buckling Analysis in Cylinder, e = 50% shell thickness ...................................................................................................... 17 Figure 12. Axial displacement and Von Mises Stress for Nonlinear Buckling Analysis in Cylinder, e = 1% shell thickness ..................................................................................... 20 Figure 13. Axial displacement and Von Mises Stress for Nonlinear Buckling Analysis in Cylinder, e = 10% shell thickness.................................................................................... 20 Figure 14. Axial displacement and Von Mises Stress for Nonlinear Buckling Analysis in Cylinder, e = 100% shell thickness ................................................................................. 21

LIST OF SYMBOLS
{F} [K] {U} E e t R L kc N, Fcr y Force Vector Stiffness Matrix Displacement Vector Modulus of Elasticity (Youngs Modulus) Poissons Ratio Density
lb lb/in in psi N/A lb/in3

Eccentricity or Imperfection Size (Half of out of roundness value) in Cylinder wall thickness in Cylinder radius in Length of cylinder in Buckling coefficient Critical buckling stress Critical buckling stress
N/A psi psi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank my husband, family and friends for all of their support. Without their help and moral support, completing this project would have been nearly impossible. Thank you to Professor Gutierrez-Miraverte for all of his guidance and patience throughout these last few months. He has truly been an educational mentor and an advisor. Thank you to my colleagues and technical mentors at Pratt & Whitney, Richard Monahan and Bessem Jlidi, for their technical guidance and support during the execution of this study. Special thanks also to my good friends John Battye and Susan Smith for taking the time to read through this paper and offer constructive criticisms for its improvement.

ABSTRACT
The use of cylindrical shells in the aerospace industry is widespread as load carrying structures. This paper addresses the buckling capability of a cylindrical shell under a compressive axial load using finite element analysis and shows how variability in manufacturing processes, such as ovalization of a cylindrical duct, can affect the buckling capability of these parts. Results show that, as expected, buckling capability of a thin cylinder is significantly affected by out of roundness. Out of roundness of 1%, 10%, 50% and 100% of the shell thickness resulted in a reduction in buckling capability of 8.3%, 37.8% 65.9% and 75%, respectively. Finite element results were calibrated to and were in good agreement with the theoretical solution for a perfectly round cylinder under axial compression.

1. Introduction
The use of thin-walled cylinders is widespread in many engineering industries. In military engines, thin cylindrical shells are used for bypass ducts. As a military jet moves through the sky, the bypass ducts are subjected to several maneuver loads, including the axial load from the engine thrust. In the aerospace industry, the fuselage of a commercial jet is subject to inertial and pressure loads during takeoff and landing. The bypass ducts of a military jet engine must withstand severe compressive loading due to the many quick maneuvers that a fighter jet makes in a given mission. Submarines are subject to large external pressure loads as they dive into the depths of the ocean. Although the loading of these thin-walled cylinders varies, the similarity among them is that the buckling capability of the structures is an extremely important factor in their design. As industry becomes more competitive and the need to design lightweight, lowcost parts increases, creating optimized designs is becoming more and more important. In order to design a part to its true limit, a more detailed analysis must be conducted, and factors such as part variations due to manufacturing must be considered. In designing thin cylindrical shells, it is typically assumed that the cylinder is perfectly round and the imperfections resulting from manufacturing processes are not captured. It is typically found that results obtained from experiment are significantly different from the theoretical solution. The discrepancy is thought to be due to imperfections in an actual manufactured part that are not accounted for in theory. A thin cylindrical shell is extremely sensitive to initial geometric imperfections, which are typically defined as geometric shape imperfections and load eccentricities. Slight part imperfections are difficult to avoid and make the job of determining the actual buckling capability of a part difficult to predict. This study will examine how imperfections in a thin cylinder, specifically slight ovalization due to manufacturing, can affect its buckling load capacity. The effect of this ovalization will be studied using finite element analysis. The least expensive way to study this effect would be by conducting a linear eigenvalue buckling analysis. This analysis, however, is known to be anticonservative [1]. The eigenvalue method predicts the buckling strength of an ideal linear structure. Since it is a linear solution, the stiffness matrix is not updated during the solution and the results predict a load carrying capability greater than the structure could actually sustain. Therefore, it is 1

common to perform a nonlinear, large displacement static buckling analysis. Although this method is more time consuming and computationally expensive, it is typically a more accurate method for determining buckling capability of a part. The nonlinear large displacement method gradually increases the load in steps. The equilibrium equation, {F}=[K]{U}, is solved for displacement, {U}, in each step by an iterative process. As the load increases in each step, the stiffness matrix, [K], is updated to reflect the new stiffness under the current loading. The load is increased until instability occurs and the stiffness approaches zero. Once this occurs the finite element package is unable to find a solution and the job is aborted. The unconverged solution typically indicates that the structure is unable to carry any more load and buckling has occurred. The load applied to the structure in the last converged step previous to the unconverged solution is typically used as the buckling capability of the structure. For this study, a combination of linear eigenvalue and nonlinear buckling analysis will be performed. Abaqus, a finite element code, has the capability of using the results of an eigenvalue buckling analysis to impart imperfections into a part for a buckling analysis. The eigenvalue mode shape that reflects an ovalized cylinder will be used to impart slight deflections to the part. A nonlinear buckling analysis will then be performed on the cylinder using a static Rik's solution, which models large deflections and post-buckling behavior. A somewhat similar study, Buckling Analysis of a Submarine with Hull Imperfections, was completed by Lee in 2007 [2]. Lee explored the advantages and disadvantages of using eigenvalue buckling analysis and nonlinear large displacement static buckling analysis to evaluate a thin cylindrical shell subject to an external pressure load. He also studied the effect of mesh density and material nonlinearity in his study. Lee determined that out of roundness in a cylinder significantly decreases its capability to withstand an external pressure load. This study does the same for a cylinder under axial loading.

1.1 Problem Description

The purpose of this project is to study how imperfections in a thin-walled cylinder affect buckling capability. There are many imperfections that can affect the buckling 2

capability of a thin-walled cylinder, including ovalization, variation in thickness, material imperfections, etc. This paper will focus on the ovalization, or out-ofroundness, that can result from manufacturing processes in the production of thin cylinders. Figure 1 shows what is meant by ovalized. The solid blue line is a cylindrical duct, while the dashed line is ovalized. The effect of ovalization and the degree of ovalization required to significantly affect the critical buckling load for a cylinder in pure axial compression will be studied.
e

e e

e
Figure 1. Definition of Ovalized, or "Out of Round"

1.2 Methodology
The finite element method is used to conduct the analysis for this project. The software used is Abaqus, a product of Dassault Systemes. Abaqus is an industry leader in the field of finite element analysis. This project requires nonlinear large displacement analysis, for which the Abaqus solver is known as best in class. A perfectly round (no imperfections), simply supported cylinder is modeled in Abaqus. The element size used is determined by conducting a mesh density study. An eigenvalue buckling solution is conducted several times, iterating on element size until the solution converges. The largest element that produces accurate results is used to produce accurate results in a model that runs as quickly as possible. Once an element size is determined, the nonlinear buckling analysis is performed. The resulting buckling load obtained from this analysis is validated by comparing it to a simple hand calculation using a simple equation derived using small deflection theory. Once the solution is validated, a study is conducted by imparting various degrees of imperfection into the cylinder. The degree of ovalization, or out of roundness, is

measured by the total diametric deformation; as seen in Figure 1, the total out of roundness is equal to e + e, or 2e. So if e is one inch, the total out of roundness is two inches. The ovalization is created in Abaqus using the imperfection command. This command uses the eigenvalue buckling result for a specified mode and scales the normalized displacements. The displacements are then used to change the shape in the nonlinear buckling solution.

1.3 Expected Outcomes

It is expected that this study will reveal that the ovalization of a cylindrical duct has a very significant effect on its buckling capability under axial compression. The stresses in the cylinders will be examined to explain the premature collapse under axial loading. It is unknown whether or not the trend between load carrying capability and out of roundness will be linear or exponential.

2. Buckling of a Thin Cylinder Under Axial Compression 2.1 Modeling

A baseline model consisted of a perfectly round cylinder (e =0). The cylinder is 80 inches in diameter and 80 inches in length. The thickness is 0.15 inches. Symmetry along the axial direction is used on one end of the cylinder. That is, it is held from translating in the axial (z) direction and from rotating in the radial (x) and circumferential (y) directions. The opposite end is simply supported. The model is run at room temperature, or 70F. Titanium, specifically AMS 4928, is used for the material in this study, since information about its properties is publicly available. The material properties for AMS 4928 can be found in Table 1. Typically buckling occurs before the material begins to yield, therefore linear elastic material properties are used for these analyses.
Table 1. Material Properties for AMS 4928 (Ti 6-4) [3]

E y

1.69E+07 psi 0.32 0.158 lb/in3 86,000 psi

The mesh boundary conditions can be seen in Figure 2. The axial load is applied to the simply supported edge of the cylinder in the +z direction. The value of the applied axial load is 10,000 lb/node, which equates to a total load of 124,000 lb. The load is ramped up throughout the solution in increments until buckling occurs. The load proportionality factor, a ratio of load capability to applied load, can exceed 1.0, which would mean that the load carrying capability of the cylinder is greater than the load applied to the model. The boundary conditions are shown in Figure 2.

Axial Load Applied and Simply Supported Along Edge

Symmetry Boundary Conditions Along Edge

Figure 2. Finite Element Model Boundary Conditions

2.2 Theoretical Solution

The behavior of a cylinder under axially compressive loading is complex. The displacement and load have a linear relationship as the load increases, the displacement also increases and stiffness increases. However, as seen in Figure 3 at Point A, once a buckling begins to occur, the displacement increases more quickly with the same rate of loading until the critical buckling load is reached. At this point, the structure essentially has no stiffness. Buckling is not typically caused by overstress of a structure as it occurs while stresses are still below the yield strength of the material. Rather, buckling is caused by imperfections/instabilities in the structure. Figure 3 shows an example of a complex, unstable response of a structure. The nonlinear buckling analysis should exhibit similar behavior, at least up to point B on the curve.

Figure 3. Proportional loading with unstable response [4].

A simple hand calculation can be used to find the critical buckling load, or buckling capability, of a thin cylindrical shell. The classic solution for the maximum stress in a cylinder under axial compression, using small deflection theory is shown in Equation 1 [5].
Equation 1.

Fcr = where E = Modulus of Elasticity = Poisson's ratio t = Wall thickness R = radius of shell

E t2 3(1 ) R

The resulting stress from this equation is multiplied by the cylinder's perimeter to obtain the total load carrying capability of the structure. For the cylinder used in this study, the calculated theoretical critical load is 1,455,952 lb. As described above, small deflection theory has proven anticonservative for determining the buckling strength of thin-walled cylinders or thin-curved panels. It is generally accepted that this is due to geometrical imperfections and associated stress concentrations. Large deflection theory shows better correlation with experimental results; however, it is difficult to find solutions to these problems without knowledge of

imperfections due to material grain structure and manufacturing techniques. Therefore, the design is typically based on best fit curves for experimental or test results. The calculations below use design curves provided in E.F. Bruhns book [6]. Bruhn derives the theoretical solution for a monocoque cylinder under axial compression. Equation 2 from Bruhn [6] is used to find the critical stress for cylinder under axial compression.
Equation 2.

Fcr = where kc = buckling coefficient

k c 2 E t 12 1 2 L

E = Modulus of Elasticity t = Wall thickness L = Length of cylinder = Poissons ratio Curves relating cylinder dimensions and Youngs modulus are used to find the buckling coefficient kc. The theoretical curve results in a kc of 750 and a load of 1,539,279 lb, The which is only 2% higher than the theoretical solution from Reference 8.

experimental curves are based on 90% probability. The solution using the experimental curves is 420,736 lb, or a 71% reduction in buckling capability as compared to the theoretical solution. This is a significant reduction in capability, which is based on experimental data, and proves that considering imperfections when designing a thin cylindrical shell is extremely important.

2.3 Eigenvalue Buckling Solution and Mesh Density Study

At the beginning of this study linear shells (called S4 elements) were used for the mesh due to their fast computational time. However, problems were encountered using this type of element because linear shells are prone to shear locking. Shear locking can affect the performance of fully integrated, linear elements subjected to bending loads. Since the edges of quadratic elements are able to curve, shear locking is not typically an issue. They may exhibit some locking if they are distorted or if the bending stress has a gradient, but typically dont have as many issues as linear shells. Figure 4, from the

Abaqus 6.9 Documentation [4], shows a comparison of how linear and quadratic shells behave under a bending load.

(a)

(b)

Figure 4. Deformation of a fully integrated, linear element (a) and a fully integrated, quadratic element (b) subjected to bending moment M

Quadratic shells (S8 elements) were then used to mesh the part. However, the solution time increased tremendously, and for an unknown reason, the structure was not undergoing collapse. With further reading through the Abaqus documentation, it was found that S4R5 elements, which are reduced integration linear shells with 5 degrees of freedom per node, are recommended for modeling thin shell structures. These elements are used for the Abaqus benchmarking studies and example problems for use in modeling thin cylinders. Therefore, these elements were utilized for this study and yielded accurate results. While performing a finite element analysis, it is important to ensure that the results obtained are reliable and accurate by iterating on the element size, or mesh density. In order to ensure that the results obtained during this analysis are correct, this study is conducted using the eigenvalue buckling analysis. Once the element size is small enough that the solution begins to converge, that element size is used. This analysis is performed in Abaqus using a perfectly round cylinder, with only a small imperfection (e = 0.1% shell thickness, or 1.5E-4) to aid in buckling. The first six eigenvalue buckling mode shapes can be seen in Figure 5.

Figure 5. First Six Eigenvalue Mode Shapes

The mode of interest is mode four. This mode represents the ovalization of the duct, so it is used to impart imperfections into the structure. The mode shape can be seen in Figure 6 below. The eigenvalue for this mode is 11,776, which equates to a buckling load of 1,460,224 lb. This is within 1% of the theoretical solution of 1,455,592 lb. This result was used to estimate a reasonable load to be applied for the nonlinear buckling run.

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Figure 6. Eigenvalue Buckling Mode Four Deflections

Table 2 shows the eigenvalue buckling analysis results for various element sizes. Figure 7 shows how the solution begins to converge to approximately 0.5% once the element size reaches two inches. Therefore, an element size of two inches is used for all the modeling completed hereafter. A more refined mesh would be acceptable but the increased computing time would be of little benefit.

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Table 2. Eigenvalue Buckling Mesh Density Study Results

Element Size (inches) 10 5 4 3 2 1.5 1.25 1 0.5

1 12045 11679 11394 11187 11109 11081 11057 11057

2 12045 11679 11394 11187 11109 11081 11057 11057

3 15246 12089 11926 11822 11769 11753 11746 11743 11743

4 15504 12132 11954 11838 11776 11757 11749 11744 11744

5 15504 12132 11954 11838 11776 11757 11749 11744 11744

% Change 27.79% 1.49% 0.98% 0.53% 0.16% 0.07% 0.04% 0.00%

% Error vs. Element Size

100.50%

100.00%

Percent Change in Mode 4 Eigenvalue

99.50%

99.00%

98.50%

98.00%

97.50%

97.00%

96.50% 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Element Size (inches)

Figure 7. Convergence of Eigenvalue Buckling Results vs. Element Size

2.4 Nonlinear Buckling Analysis

A nonlinear buckling analysis is performed using the modified Riks method. The modified Riks method is a solution method in Abaqus used for load cases where the loading is proportional to, or governed by a single scalar parameter. In this study, this scalar parameter is the axial compressive load. The results is a load proportionality

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factor (a multiple of the applied load) and displacements.

Since both loads and

displacements are unknown, another quantity, called arc length, along the static equilibrium path in load-displacement space, is used to measure the progress of the solution. This allows the modeling of both stable and unstable structures. For more information on the modified Riks method, see Reference 4. A load of 10,000 lb/node or 1,239,592 lb was applied to the finite element model. This load was selected as an estimate based on eigenvalue results and the theoretical solution. For the modified Riks solution, the applied load is irrelevant because the load will be increased until collapse occurs, even if the load exceeds the applied load. A baseline analysis of a perfect cylinder is conducted. In order to aid in the buckling of the structure, a very small imperfection (0.00015, or 0.0003 out of roundness) is introduced into the model. Figure 8 shows displacement and von Mises stress plots of this analysis. The stress plot shows that stresses are high in the area around the imperfections, or where the cylinder is out of round.

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Figure 8. Displacement and Von Mises Stress for Nonlinear Buckling Analysis in Perfect Cylinder

Next, several degrees of out of roundness are analyzed up to 100% of the shell thickness. The results can be seen in Table 2. Figure 9 illustrates how even a slight out of roundness can affect buckling capability. A cylinder that is out of round by only 1% of the shell thickness reduces the buckling capability by 8.3%. This is a significant reduction in capability when trying to design a structure. The trend appears to trend exponentially, rather than linearly. The column labeled LPF in Table 3 is a ratio of the load carrying capability to the applied load. This parameter is used to find the load carrying capability of the structure. If this value is greater than one, it merely means that the load applied to the model was less than it was capable of sustaining, and a larger load was applied.

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Table 3. Nonlinear Buckling Results

Imperfection: % Shell Thickness 0.1% 1% 10% 50% 100% Distance OOR (inches) 0.0003 0.003 0.03 0.15 0.3 Load Capability (lb) 1,431,729 1,312,689 891,003 488,703 357,589 % Reduction in Capability 0.0% 8.3% 37.8% 65.9% 75.0%

LPF 1.155 1.059 0.719 0.394 0.288

% Error 1.66% 9.84% 38.80% 66.43% 75.44%

1,600,000 1,400,000
Buckling Load Capability (lb)

Effect of Ovalization on Buckling Capability for a Thin Cylindrical Shell

1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,000 400,000 200,000 0 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35
Distance Out of Round (in)

Figure 9. Effect of Ovalization on Buckling Capability

As the imperfection, or out of roundness, increases in the structure, the shape of the buckled structure becomes more representative of an ovalized structure. Figure 10 shows the displacement and stress plots for a cylinder with an e equal to 50% of the shell thickness, or out of round by 0.15. The von Mises stress is higher along the major axis of the ellipse, which is what would be expected. Appendix A shows displacement and stress results for e = 1%, 10% and 100%.

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Figure 10. Axial displacement and Von Mises Stress for Nonlinear Buckling Analysis in Cylinder, e = 50% shell thickness

The load vs. displacement curve for this analysis, seen in Figure 11, also closely represents the theoretical prediction shown in Figure 3. The load slowly increases with slight slope changes as the structure becomes unstable. Once the peak load capability is reached, the stiffness of the structure is zero and collapse occurs.

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Figure 11. Load vs. Displacement Curve for Nonlinear Buckling Analysis in Cylinder, e = 50% shell thickness

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3. Conclusions
The results of this project meet the expected outcome. It was clearly evident that by decreasing the element size for the eigenvalue buckling analysis, the accuracy of the solution was increased. This helped to calibrate the model and ensure that the element size used for all analyses was appropriate. The baseline nonlinear buckling analysis resulted in a solution within 2% of the theoretical solution. It was shown that adding imperfections in the form of out of roundness, or ovalization, significantly reduced the load carrying capability of the structure. An e of 1%, 10%, 50% and 100% of the shell thickness resulted in a reduction in buckling capability of 8.3%, 37.8% 65.9% and 75%, respectively. The stresses in the nonlinear buckling analysis did not exceed the yield strength of the material, 86 ksi. Therefore, using elastic material properties for Ti 6-4 was an appropriate assumption. In addition, the hand calculation based on experimental data showed that, based on 90% probability, the actual load carrying capability of a thin cylindrical shell under axial loading is 70% less than the theoretical value. This result is close to the 65.9% reduction from an e of 50% of the shell thickness. The FE solution, however, does not take into account any other material or geometric imperfections that will be present in a structure. Therefore, it would be expected that for an out of round structure the actual load carrying capability would be less than the values reported here due to other imperfections in the structure. In conclusion, the intent of this study was to show how ovalization, or out of roundness, of a cylinder affected the buckling capability. It was shown that this type of imperfection can significantly reduce the capability of a thin shell. However, further studies that take other imperfections into account must be addressed. It should also be noted that this study only addresses isotropic materials and the results should not be assumed to be the same for a composite structure.

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4. References
[1] ANSYS 11.0 Users Manual [2] Buckling analysis of a submarine with hull imperfections Lee, Harvey C., 2007 [3] Efunda. Ti 6Al-4V http://www.efunda.com/materials/alloys/titanium/ [4] Abaqus 6.9 Users Manual [5] Broggi, Matteo, 2008, Buckling of Cylindrical Shells with Random Imperfections Revisited. Institute of Engineering Mechanics, University of Innsbruck. Innsbruck, Austria, EU. [6] Bruhn, E.F., 1973, Analysis and Design of Flight Vehicle Structures, Jacobs Publishing, Inc., ppC8.1-C8.26. [7] Buckling of Thin Shells: Recent Advances and Trends Jin Guang Teng, Appl. Mech. Rev. 49, 263 (1996), DOI:10.1115/1.3101927 [8] Young, W.C.,1989, Roarks Formulas for Stress and Strain, McGraw Hill Inc., NY, pp 714-717, Chap. 15. [9] Harris, Seurer, Skeen and Benjamin. The Stability of Thin-Walled Unstiffened Circular Cylinders Under Axial Compression. Jour. Aero. Sciences. Vol. 24, August, 1957.

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5. Appendix A Nonlinear Buckling Results

Figure 12. Axial displacement and Von Mises Stress for Nonlinear Buckling Analysis in Cylinder, e = 1% shell thickness

Figure 13. Axial displacement and Von Mises Stress for Nonlinear Buckling Analysis in Cylinder, e = 10% shell thickness

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Figure 14. Axial displacement and Von Mises Stress for Nonlinear Buckling Analysis in Cylinder, e = 100% shell thickness

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