Development of Numerical Modelling Techniques for Composite Cylindrical Structures under External Pressure

Abstract

Submarine hulls are pressure vessels for which excellent structural integrity under underwater pressure loads is essential. The use of light-weight materials contributes to reduced fuel consumption, improved speed, and increased payload while strength properties are retained. The focus of this paper is on the collapse behavior of a filament-wound cylindrical structure that serves as the main hull of a submarine subject to hydrostatic pressure loads. This paper presents a computational modelling approach for the prediction of the collapse behavior mechanism using a commercial finite element (FE) solver. The collapse strength obtained from the numerical model corresponded closely to available experimental data. The composite and aluminum material models were compared and the effects of stacking angle and thickness portion in the ply sequence on collapse strength were investigated. The advantages and disadvantages of available design codes (i.e., American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) BPVC-X and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) SP-8007) were reviewed by direct comparison with numerical results. It is concluded that the application of effective engineering constants for the prediction of the collapse pressure of submarine hulls may be feasible.