A modified linear-membrane formulation for the analysis of orthotropic axisymmetric shells is presented to assess the stresses and deformations in the torus and multitorus after pressurization. The multitorus is a conformable toroidal pressure vessel consisting of multiple articulated pressurizable toroids. It is shown that the displacement field of the toroidal membrane is nonsingular when the strains are not uniform and equal over the entire toroidal membrane. Solutions are obtained by formulating a linearized potential-energy functional, which is solved by use of the Ritz method. The modified linear-membrane formulation for pressurized isotropic shells was developed by J. T. Tielking, and this paper outlines the extension to orthotropic shells. The linearization results from the insensitivity of the meridional stress resultant to the deformation. The modified linear toroidal membrane solution is used as a tool to design a multitorus that behaves predictably with respect to stresses and deformations. This work provides an in-depth knowledge of the stresses and deformations of stiff inflatable toroidal structures that are of interest for applications such as inflatable space habitats, pressure cabins, and tanks.
Modified Linear-Membrane Formulation for the Pressurized Torus and Multitorus
AIAA Journal ; 51 , 9 ; 2114-2125
2013-09-01
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Modified Linear-Membrane Formulation for the Pressurized Torus and Multitorus
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