Generic vibration of prestressed thick orthotropic cylindrical shells

Abstract

SummaryAn investigation of the generic vibration of prestressed thick orthotropic cylindrical shells was carried out. A set of Flügge type equations. of motion for orthotropic shells has been reduced to an equivalent set of equations containing only non-dimensionalised geometrical parameters, loadings and generalised global constants of orthotropic materials. The influence and importance of the global constants on the vibration of cylindrical shells are studied. Based on the results, the figures shown in this paper are applicable for a large group of materials, making the understanding of the correlation between composite material properties and vibrational behaviour of the shells very easy. The results of this paper show that an increase in vibrating frequency is brought about by (1) increasing generalised rigidity ratio, (2) increasing transverse shear modular ratios, (3) decreasing generalised Poisson's ratio and (4) decreasing principal rigidity ratio. The key parameters to the problems are generalised rigidity ratio and principal rigidity ratio only.