| The Analytical Strip Method (ASM) for the analysis of thin cylindrical shells is presented in this dissertation. The system of three governing differential equations for the cylindrical shell are reduced to a single eighth order partial differential equation (PDE) in terms of a potential function. The PDE is solved as a single series form of the potential function, from which the displacement and force quantities are determined. The solution is applicable to isotropic, generally orthotropic, and laminated shells. Cylinders may have simply supported edges, clamped edges, free edges, or edges supported by isotropic beams. The cylindrical shell can be stiffened with isotropic beams in the circumferential direction placed anywhere along the length of the cylinder. The solution method can handle any combination of point loads, uniform loads, hydrostatic loads, sinusoidal loads, patch loads, and line loads applied in the radial direction. The results of the ASM are compared to results from existing analytical solutions and numerical solutions for several examples; the results for each of the methods were in good agreement. The ASM overcomes limitations of existing analytical solutions and provides an alternative to approximate numerical and semi-numerical methods. |
