Equilibrium Shapes for Pressurized

W. S. R E A D
Missiles Structures Section,
Fiberglas Domes
D o u g l a s Aircraft C o m p a n y ,
S a n t a M o n i c a , Calif. The netting concept is used to analyze filament wound shells of revolution. First the
fiber tensions are resolved parallel and perpendicular to the meridian. These com-
ponents of the fiber tensions give the meridional and hoop forces in the dome. A com-
parison of these forces is made with the forces calculated from membrane theory.
It is shown that the shell will be unstable unless the forces calculated from the fiber
tensions are equal to the membrane forces computed from membrane theory. A dome
with a polar opening is examined to see if a shape can be found which will make the
dome stable. It is shown that for stability, two separate differential equations must be
satisfied by the dome curve. The two equations are found to be dependent, and thus both
are satisfied by the same curve. The equation for a stable dome is presented in terms of a
nondimensional integral.

Filament Wound Structures JV* , No

I wo basic approaches can be made to the analj'sis of
filament wound structures. One considers the material as an
anisotropic solid capable of withstanding some bending and
compressive forces in addition to the usual membrane forces.
The second approach utilizes the netting concept in which the
effect of the binder is neglected. As a consequence, the struc-
ture can support no bending or compressive forces. If a structure
is designed so that it is stable when analyzed by netting theory, it
will be more efficient than if it requires forces in the binder for
stability. Due to its mathematical simplicity the netting concept
will be used here.
Consider an element of a filament wound dome. Let \p be the
angle that the fibers make with the meridian. (Note that i/'
varies along the meridian.) Let the tension in the fiber be T.
Further, let n be the number of fibers per unit length in the ele-
ment (see Fig. 1).
The hoop force per unit length No and meridian force per unit
length AT$ can be immediately found bj' resolving the fiber ten-
sions parallel and perpendicular to the meridian. This gives:
= nT cos2 i
No = nT sin2 \p
(26)
— + — =V
n r2
where ri is the meridional radius of curvature and r2 is the hoop
radius of curvature.
In general, the forces given bj' (1) will not agree with those
given by (2). To understand the reason for this one must realize
that the membrane forces (2) simply represent the forces in the
shell necessar3r to keep the shell in equilibrium with the pressure.
If the actual forces in the shell are not the same as the equilibrium
forces, the shell will be unstable, and will change its shape. As
an example, consider a cylinder with solid ends whose body is
made up of filaments parallel to the axis (Fig. 2).
The resolution of forces gives No = 0. However, membrane
theory gives No = pR. Thus when the cylinder is pressurized it
will not be stable. The filaments will curve outward, and the
ends will move in, as in Fig. 3.
- E M E N T O F DOME ^ FIBERS/UNIT
(la)
(16)

Note that A'^ and No have been obtained by considering only the
resolution of forces. What happens if and No are computed
from membrane theory? We obtain:
pri
Na (2a)
2

Contributed by the Aviation Division and presented at the

Aviation Conference, Washington, D. C„ June 26-28, 1962, of THE " FIBERS/
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. Manuscript re- 2 UNIT LENGTH •
ceived at ASME Headquarters, November 8, 1961. Paper No. 62—
Av-4. Fig. 1

-Nomenclature-
a = radius of equator dome p = pressure in the dome and cylinder S = arc length on the dome across the
r\ _ rectangular coordinates of the meridian
h = radius of polar opening in the
x) dome (see Fig. 4)
dome t = thickness of the dome at any point
n = meridional radius of curvature
n — number of fibers crossing a line of r2 = hoop radius of curvature T = tension in the fibers
unit length oriented across the
fibers (see Fig. 1) w = diameter of the fibers
dx
= meridional force per unit length \p = angle the fibers make with the
r" = —
No — hoop force per unit length T dx2 meridian at any point

Journal of Engineering for Industry F E B R U A R Y 1 96 3 / 115

Copyright © 1963 by ASME

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 To write these equations explicitly, we need an expression for n,
the number of fibers per unit length. Let no be the value of n at
the equator. The value of n at any other point will be given by
n = not/tn where to is the thickness at the equator.
The thickness I may be found by a consideration of Fig. 5.

Fig. 2

VbJ \ R2\

( A ^ R 1

7
Fig. 5

The number of fibers that cross Si must be the same as cross Sz.
Fig. 3
Also, the number of fibers that can fit into any one layer will de-
pend on the angle at which they cross S, for if the width of a fiber
The new shape will be one for which the resolution of forces is w, its effective width will be w/cos tp.
gives the same and Ng as is given by membrane theory. iSi cos \pi
The number of fibers per layer at Si will be given by
If an isotropic solid were being considered, it would be neces-
to
sary to consider only the membrane or equilibrium forces. This is S2 cos \pi
because an isotropic material is capable of withstanding a force The number of fibers per layer at S2 will be Since the
in one direction independently of the force in the other direction. h
For fiber materials this is not so. Once the tension in the fiber is same number of fibers cross Si as cross Si, we have - = Si cos ypi
, .
ti S2 cos \pi
known, N$ and Ng are completely determined by the resolution of
forces. Thus the ratio of and Ng is not arbitrary, but depends
on the nature of the material. For a stable structure, and Ng,
as determined by the resolution of forces, must be equal to the
equilibrium forces. In actual practice when an unstable shape is
made of filamentary material, the structure will start to deform
to an equilibrium shape. This will induce stresses in the binder
until the shell is finally made stable by combination of bending
stresses, stress in the binder, and fiber stresses. FIBER
COS 0
Equations (1) and (2) will now be examined in detail to find the MERIDIAN
conditions under which the forces obtained by the netting
analysis coincide with the equilibrium forces; that is, to deter- Fig. 6

mine which dome shapes are stable when only the forces in the
fibers are considered. However, Si/Si = R1/R2 and n = n0 I/to so we have

nod cos ipo

n = : (5)
r cos \p

where a is the radius of the equator of the dome.

We now need tp as a function of r. It will be assumed that the
fiber paths are geodesies. A theorem in differential geometry1
states that for geodesic paths

r sin 41 — constant

At the edge of the polar opening, the fibers cross the meridian at
right angles, and sin \p = 1. Since r = h at the polar opening, the
constant is determined to be h, whence

Fig. 4 r sin \p = h

Therefore the angle that the fibers make with the meridian at the
Consider a dome with polar opening of radius h which will be
equator is given by sin \p0 = h/a.
open in operation as in the case of a nozzle.
The equilibrium value of is Now that we have n and ip as functions of r, we can write out
equations (1) explicitly. Substituting equation (5) in equation
(la), we obtain:
(3)
1 Weatherburn, "Differential Geometry," vol, I, Cambridge Uni-

The equilibrium equation for Ng will be given by versity Press, Cambridge, England, p. 102.

116 / F E B R U A R Y 1 963 Transactions oi the A S M E

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 naaT cos \pp
^ =
r{ cos vT
cos r

Since sin = h/r, we have

no®?7 cos
cos2 \{/ = 1 — /i 2 /r 2 .
'A
This gives
£
-ro- 52p2
52 - (p4 - 52p2)

A table of values of this integral for various values of opening

(13)

Ar<4 = (6) size (h) has been computed, and some representative dome shapes
are shown in Appendix II.
Similarly from equation (16) To see how the product n0T can be expressed in terms of p and
o2
jiooy cos ft h2 a, we shall refer back to equation (12). We have a 2 = — (a 2 —
= (7) 4
"T fe2 \ T2"
j,2\ a- • IC J u noTa cos \f/„
iv). Since a is denned by a = we may write
A W

Equation (6) gives the value for when only the resolution of 4no2r2 cos2 \p0
forces is considered. Equation (3) gives the value of that is = (o 2 - h2)
necessary to keep the dome in equilibrium. Equating these two
expressions for we obtain: However,
n0Ta cos ft
cos2 ft = ( l - ^ )
0 - S )

4«o2?'2
using the relations — = a2
V2
[l + 0')2]!/'
n =
cte
rp Va
n*T = -
rfV
= r V T + (r') 2
d.i'2
The dome defined by equation (13) therefore has all the fibers
we get uniformly tensioned. Thus the stress is uniform everywhere in
noTa cos ft the dome.
= ^ [1 + (»•')*] - h2)' (8)
V One point that requires further discussion is the effect of closing
the polar opening of the dome with a plate. This can be done two
Similarly, by equating the two expressions for No, equations (7) ways. The dome may be wound with no opening, a hole then cut
and (4), we get at the apex, and a boss and plate attached so that the meridional
forces in the boss are transferred to the fibers. If this is done, the
—r'noTa cos ft ?i0ra cos ft h2
,[1 + ( r / ) t ] ' / . + previous analysis (for h = 0) still holds. The second method is to
)'2[1 + (r') 2 ] l / s ?-2 wind the dome with the desired polar opening and then attach the
boss. If this is done, the previous analysis will have to be modi-
(9) fied slightly. The expression for will no longer be given by
(3) but will be
Anj' dome that is in equilibrium must satisfy both equation (8)
pr2
and equation (9). However, as shown in Appendix I, equation Ni =

(8) needs only to be differentiated to obtain equation (9). Thus

any dome shape satisfying equation (8) will automatically satisfy
This will lead to a new form for equation (8). The new expres-
equation (9). To get the coordinates of domes in equilibrium,
sion will be
we must solve equation (8). Let^ a C ° 3 —° = a. Substituting naTa cos ft rz
V [1 + M 2 ] ' A ( r 2 - h2) - ' A (80
this in equation (8) gives: V
2a = r[l + (?-') 2 ]' a 0- 2 - h 2 )' /2 (10) Again, equation (8') and (9) can both be satisfied by the same
dome shape.
solving for r' we get
Using the new differential equation (8'), we get a different
4a 2 - ()•< - 7IV2)Ta expression in place of equation (13).
(11)
r« - 7iV2 J p6 _ p6g2 \'/l
since r(0) = o and r'(0) = 0 we have from equation (10) 52 _ p6 p6g: ) dp (13')

4a 2 = a2(a2 - /t2) (12) A table of values of the integral (13') has also been computed,
and representative dome shapes will be found in Appendix II.
Equation (11) can be put in a simpler form by nondimensionaliz-
It must be remembered that in deriving equation (13') the
ing it, and using the value for a given by equation (12). Let
assumption was made that the meridional forces in the boss are
r = ap transferred to the fibers right at the point of tangency. In actual
practice, the forces in the boss will be transferred by shear to the
h = a8 fibers, and an overlapping of the boss and fibers will be required.
x = a£ The flaring of the domes in Fig. 8 near the polar opening is due
to the mathematical assumption of no overlapping of the boss and
This gives
fibers. In designing domes, the flare should be reduced a certain
dp _ / l - 32 - (p* - 5 2 p 2 )y / 8 amount (or completely eliminated) depending on the overlap
dF of the boss and fibers.
\ p* - 82p2 J
FEBRUARY 1963 / 1 1 7
J o u r n a l o f Engineering f o r Industry

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 The assumption of no overlap of the boss and fibers poses a equation reduces to
problem in solving equation (13'). The values of £ very near the
opening obtained from (13') are imaginary. This means that the r" ( r - + 11 + (r )2]
' (2 ~ 7r) = 0 (14)

dome is not in equilibrium in this region. Physically this is be-

cause the fibers are oriented at right angles to the meridian where
the boss joins the fibers. Thus the meridional forces in the boss Equation (9) is
will cause the fibers to deflect. However, since the boss and fibers
—r"noTa cos ipo n0Ta cos \J/0 h2
actually will overlap, this problem will not exist in practice. (1 - h2/r2) +
r[l + (r')2]J/= 2
r [l + (r')2]1/2 r2

APPENDIX I - P i -
Equation (9) can be shown to be the derivative of equation (8)
as follows: Again, from equation (8) we have

V V 2
= - [1 + ( r ' ) 2 ] - 1 / ! ( r 2 - 7i 2 )- , / 2 (8) , - [i + ( r ' ) 2 r ' / > ( , 2 - ;ia) - 1 / 2
noTa cos \po r
n0Ta cos 0 r
Differentiating, this gives
Substituting this in equation (9) gives:
~r[ 1 + ( r O T ' / ' r ' l [1 + (r 1 )']'/' ('• - t ) + [ 1 + ( r ' ) 2 ] ( 2 - v ) = 0 (15)

v h2 h2
- £ - r [1 + ( r ' ) 2 r V 2 r " + — [1 + { r ' ) 2 Y h As can be seen, equation (14) and (15) are identical.
2 v r-

= n0Ta cos h . [I o(r- 22 - - A2) ~ '/ 2 ~ - (r*

v r3 APPENDIX II
The graphs, Figs. 7 and 8, show dome shapes for polar holes
but, n0Ta cos = r[l + (r')2]V* (r 2 - h2)1/2 so the above closed by plates and for open polar holes.
A

FILAMENT DOMES FOR FILAMENT DOMES FOR

OPEN POLAR HOLES CLOSED POLAR HOLES
RADIUS OF HOLE = h
RADIUS OF H O L E - h
(SEE EQUATION 13)
(SEE EQUATION 13')
1.0 1.0

P =-

.4

.2

118 / FEBRUARY 1 963 Transactions oi the A S M E

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