MA3700 Aircraft Structures I Thin-walled Pressure Vessels

Thin-walled Fuselage structures

• Review of year 2 pressure vessels
• Development of theory for thin-walled pressure vessels
• Hoop and longitudinal stresses
• Development of theory for deformation of pressure vessels
• Change in diameter and length
• Considerations for joining two different vessel shapes
• Considerations for combined loads applied simultaneously
• Examples to highlight applications
 The walls of an ideal thin-walled pressure vessel act
as a membrane (no bending of the walls takes place).
 A sphere is an ideal shape for a closed pressure vessel
if the contents are of negligible weight.
 A cylindrical vessel is also good with the exception of the
junctures with the ends.
 Cylindrical vessels are aerodynamically superior and also
easier to fabricate in modular forms.

Dr Chai Gin Boay

Office: N3-2C-88
Tel: 6790-5756
1
email: mgbchai@ntu.edu.sg

Thin-walled Spherical Pressure Vessels Thin-Walled Cylindrical Pressure Vessels – Hoop Stress

Consider a thin-walled cylindrical pressure vessel with radius r and wall thickness t subjected
Consider a spherical pressure vessel with radius r and wall thickness t subjected to an
to an internal gage pressure p.
internal gauge pressure p.

For reasons of symmetry, the normal stresses on an element in the wall must be identical The conditions of symmetry exclude the presence
dz
and also there can be no shear stress. The normal stresses  are also known as the of any shear stresses in the planes of the
membrane stresses in shell theory. sections. As shear stresses would cause an
r incompatible distortion of the tube.
Considering thin-walled approximation, applying the equilibrium of forces in the horizontal
direction yields :
Consider a segment of length dz as shown,
equilibrium of forces in the x-direction yields :

t
  2 rt   p  r 2  1 2 1  t  dz   p  2r  dz 
y
z pr
p pr p  1 
  x
t
2t
2 1 circumferential or hoop stress

dz
2 3
 Cylindrical Pressure Vessels – Longitudinal Stress Thin-Walled Cylindrical Pressure Vessels – Deformations

The other normal stress 2 can be obtained by solving a simple axial force problem. The generalized Hooke’s Law is used in conjunction with the basic definition of strain. Thin-
walled approximation implies a plane stress condition, the Hooke’s Law eqns are:
1
2 1   1  2 
E
2 r+r 1
p 2   2  1 
E
2 v
 3    1   2 
r 1 E

The force due to the internal pressure is p r 2

Equating these two forces for equilibrium, L Strain (deformation)= Strain (Hooke’s Law)
pr
The force developed by 2 is   2 r  t  p r 2   2  2 r  t   2  1 
r 1
  1  2 
L+L
2
2t r E

Note that for thin-walled cylindrical pressure vessels,  2 1 L 1

1
 2
2    2  1 
L E
change in circumference 2  r   r   2 r 
And maximum stress in thin-walled spherical pressure vessels is half that of the thin-walled
1    3  t    1   2 
v
original circumference 2 r t E
cylindrical counterpart of the same radius and thickness.
r

r
4 5

Example Thin-Walled Cylindrical Pressure Vessel Remarks on Thin-Walled Pressure Vessels

pr 0 .8  1  An important problem in pressure vessels arises at geometrical changes in the

Given : p=0.8MPa Hoop stress, 1    80 MPa shape. These can caused a disturbance in the membrane action.
r=1000mm, t=10mm t 0 . 010
=0.25, E=200GPa  Physical continuity of the wall is maintained by local bending and shear
pr  stresses in the neighbourhood of the juncture. (see example to minimize this
Longitudinal stress,    1  40 MPa
Find : (a) stresses
2
2t 2 problem)
(b) deformation  If thick flat end plates are used instead of hemispherical or elliptical bulkheads,
the local bending and shear stresses increase considerably.
From generalised Hooke’s Law,
1 1
1   1  2 
2 y E
2 x  0.00035
A Detail A
1 1  0.035% or 350 micro-strain
(hemispherical)
y 1

And also from definition of strain,

R
z r change in circumference
r 1 
x original circumference
(Flat head)
2  r  r   2 r r
0.00035  
2 r r
Deformed shape
r  0.35 mm 6 7
 Thin-Walled Pressure Vessels – Deformation Thin-Walled Pressure Vessel to Fuselage Structures
(CTF Ross, Mechanics of Solids, Prentice –Hall)

cylinder, tc Applying the theory of bending of beam and theory for thin-walled pressure vessel to fuselage
hemisphere, c= change in cylinder radius structure in aircraft.
th h= change in head radius
Sy

R
To minimize distortion at p
p the juncture,
Mx x
Mx+dM Mx
juncture
c  h
Sy
PR 2    PR 2
Hoop strain in cylinder, Strain in head, 1    1   
Etc  2  2 Et h
c h 1
1    1   2 
1
       th

1   
tc 21   2 
R E R E


PR

Et c
1
2
 
PR
2 Et h
1   
If =0.25,
t h  0.43tc Wf
 c 
PR 2
Et c

1
2
  h 
PR 2
1    Wr
Pimpact
2 Et h 8 9

Thin-Walled Pressure Vessel to Fuselage Structures Pure bending of fuselage with internal pressure
Consider a thin-walled pressure vessel of mean radius r and thickness t.
Axial, torque, bending with internal pressure on fuselage structure.
M M y
Top

y p I xx  r 3t
z p x x
Sy
My Bottom
Mx
z
p
T y
Normal stresses due to
Sx x internal pressure, p
Bending stress at top

y Total stresses
z M
y z  2 y
pr r t
z z 
Sy 2t 0 0
pr M
My Bending stress at bottom z z  
2t r 2t
pr
Mx y 
T
p t z M pr
z  y 
x r 2t t
N
Sx
10 11
In the absence of shear stresses, these normal stresses are principal stresses.
 Twisting of fuselage with internal pressure Combined loads on fuselage with internal pressure
Consider a thin-walled pressure vessel of mean radius r and thickness t. Consider a thin-walled pressure vessel of mean radius r and thickness t.

I xx  r 3t Ao  r 2
T J  2r 3t z Shear stress due to torque
y y I yy  r 3t
T Ao  r 2
 zy 
T
Sy I xy  0 2 Ao t
My
M x I yy y  I xy x  M y I xx x  I xy y 
y 0 0
p  zy
z z  zy y p
Mx z  
T I xx I yy  I 2
xy I xx I yy  I 2
xy

x Sx x Shear stress due to shear force

Bending stress from Mx
q
Shear stress due to torque Total stress  zy  s
Normal stresses due to Normal stresses due to t
internal pressure, p internal pressure, p z Mx
T y z 
y  zy   zy 
T
y r 2t  zy
2 Aot 2 Aot
pr  Sy  s
z z  Bending stress from My q s  q0     yt ds
z z 
pr  zy 2t z z 
pr
 I xx 0
2t  zy 2t
S  s
pr z My   x   xt ds
I  0
pr y  pr z   yy 
y  t y  r 2t
t The principal stresses must be determined 12 t 13
prior to strength failure check.

Combined loads on fuselage with internal pressure Design and Analysis of a Thin-Walled Hollow Cylinder
(CT Sun, Mechanics of Aircraft Structures, 2nd Ed, John Wiley & Sons)

Consider a thin-walled pressure vessel of mean radius r and thickness t.

A thin-walled hollow cylinder of mean radius r=1m and thickness t=5mm is subjected to an
Total stress y T q axial force N, a torque T and an internal pressure p. Given the yield stress, Y=280MPa,
z  zy   s determine :
y y 2 Ao t t
(a) The value of the pressure p that would cause yielding if N and T are zero.
Sy z pr M (b) The value of the pressure p that would cause yielding if N=5MN and T is zero.
z   (c) The value of the pressure p that would cause yielding if N=5MN and T=1MNm.
My  zy 2t r 2t
z zy y pr
Mx y 
p t N
T T The stresses as a result of each of the forces are
Sx x uniform throughout the entire cylinder. An element
Principal stresses of stress state that would be indicative of any point
 z  y  z  y
2
 y in the cylinder is shown:
 1, 2       zy2
Principal stresses Max Shear stress
2  2  y T
y o 2 zy  zy 
45 tan 2 p 
2 1   y 
2 Aot
z
z
 max p z 
N

pr
p von-Mises failure criterion for T 2rt 2t
z
plane stress : x  zy
pr
 max N y 
1 2  1   2 2   12   2 2  2 Y2 t
14 15
 Design and Analysis of a Thin-Walled Hollow Cylinder Design and Analysis of a Thin-Walled Hollow Cylinder
(CT Sun, Mechanics of Aircraft Structures, 2nd Ed, John Wiley & Sons) (CT Sun, Mechanics of Aircraft Structures, 2nd Ed, John Wiley & Sons)

(a) The value of the pressure p that would cause yielding if N and T are zero. (a) The value of the pressure p that would cause yielding if N and T are zero.

y The stress state for this case is: y The stress state for this case is:
y pr 1 y pr 1
z y   p  200 p MPa z y   p  200 p MPa
z 
pr t 5  10 3 z 
pr t 5  10 3
2t pr 1 2t pr 1
z   p  100 p MPa z   p  100 p MPa
pr 2t 10 10 3 pr 2t 10 10 3
y  y 
p t p t 
The principal stresses are :
z x z x
 z  y   y
2

 1, 2    z    zy2
Apply the von Mises criterion :
2  2  Applying the Mohr’s circle to get the principal stresses :
 150 p  50 p 
2   1  200 p  2  100 p 3  0
 1   2 2   12   2 2  2 Y2
  1  200 p  2  100 p Applying Tresca criterion : x x 
1002 p 2  2002 p 2  1002 p 2  2 Y2 1   2   Y 1   3   Y
3 2 1
2  280 
2
 2 3  Y 1   Y
For yielding of cylinder : p 
 200   2 100 
2 2
1   3   Y 280
p  1.4 MPa
 p  1.62 MPa 200
16 17

Design and Analysis of a Thin-Walled Hollow Cylinder Design and Analysis of a Thin-Walled Hollow Cylinder
(CT Sun, Mechanics of Aircraft Structures, 2nd Ed, John Wiley & Sons) (CT Sun, Mechanics of Aircraft Structures, 2nd Ed, John Wiley & Sons)
(c) The value of the pressure p that would cause yielding if N=5MN and T=1MNm.
(b) The value of the pressure p that would cause yielding if N=5MN and T is zero. N
N T The stress state for this case is:
The stress state for this case is: y T
y  zy   y  200 p MPa
pr 1 2 Aot
y   p  200 p MPa y
y z z 
N

pr t 5  10 3 z N pr
 z  159  100 p MPa
2rt 2t z  
N pr  zy 2rt 2t
z    159  100 p MPa T 1 106
2rt 2t pr  zy    31.8 MPa
y 
pr y 
t
2

2r t 2 12 5 10 3 
p
p
t The principal stresses are : T
x The principal stresses are :
x  z  y  z  y 
2
N  z  y  z  y
2
 1, 2     
N  1, 2       zy2  A  B
2  2  2  2 
Apply the von Mises criterion for yielding :
 79.5  150 p   79.5  50 p 
Apply the von Mises criterion for yielding : A  79.5  150 p ; B  79.5  50 p   31.8 2
2
 12   2 2   1 2   Y2
 1   2 2   12   2 2  2 Y2   1  159  100 p MPa  2  200 p MPa A  B   A  B   A  B A  B   
2 2 2
Y

or  1   2   1 2   A  3B   Solving the eqn yields:

2 2 2 2 2
Y Y

79.5  150 p 2  379.5  50 p 2  31.82   280 2

Solving the eqn yields:
159  100 p   200 p   159  100 p 200 p   280
2 2 2
p  1.29 MPa
p  1.33 MPa
159 2  30000 p 2  280 2 18 30000 p 2  28314 .72  280 2 19