Structural Theory for Laminated Anisotropic Elastic Shells

Abstract

A linear theory is formulated for analysis of small deflections of thin shells with arbitrary geometrical configuration and laminated of an arbitrary number of layers of different thicknesses, orientations, and anisotropic elastic coefficients. An accurate shell theory (Vlasov's) is used, and the composite-shell constitutive relation incorporates the anisotropic stretching-bending coupling effects considered by Stavsky. For shells of arbitrary geometry, it is found necessary to introduce a new parameter Fij ≡ ∫h z 3Qijdz in the con stitutive relation. This parameter is zero for homogeneous aniso tropic materials and for anisotropic materials laminated symmetri cally with respect to the middle surface. However, for a two-layer filament-wound shell, this parameter can increase the flexural rigidity by 3%, which is greater than a 2% effect considered in a previous layered-anisotropic cylindrical shell analysis.