Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science, University of Tokyo
Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science, University of Tokyo
Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science, University of Tokyo
Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science, University of Tokyo
Axial buckling tests of elliptical cylindrical shells were conducted. Thirty specimens were used, and their major-minor axis ratio ranged from 1 to 2. The shells were made of rigid-vinyl PVC sheet. The sheet which was cut in size was wrapped around an aluminum mandrel, and the overlap section along a line of maximum curvature was bonded. Then the sheet was heated up to 120℃ in an electrical furnace. At this temperature the sheet softened, shrank, and was maintained in intimate contact with the mandrel. After heat treatment the sheet retained its elliptical shape, when it was removed from the mandrel. Experimental buckling loads were compared with the empirical ones which were obtained by a formula based on maximum radius of curvature. The qualitative agreements between them were good. Load-end shortening curves for shells of various major-minor axis ratios were obtained. It was observed that buckling occurred successively after first buckling, and that load increased above first buckling load for the shells whose major-minor axis ratio was equal to 2. Buckling deformations were measured by miore topography method. By this method equal contour lines of the shells before and after buckling were obtained. Equal contour lines for deformations were derived from the difference between the contour lines of the shells before and after buckling.