Postbuckling Analyses and Derivations of Shell Knockdown Factors for Isogrid-Stiffened Cylinders Under Compressive Force and Internal Pressure

Abstract

This study derives numerically the shell Knockdown factors for the isogrid-stiffened cylinders of space launch vehicles when the axially compressive force and internal pressure are applied simultaneously. A commercial nonlinear finite element analysis software, ABAQUS, is used for the present work. Nonlinear postbuckling analyses are conducted to calculate the global buckling loads of a cylinder without and with the internal pressure. The shell Knockdown factor is numerically derived using the predicted global buckling loads without and with the geometrically initial imperfection of a cylinder. When the internal pressure of 500 kPa and compressive force are applied to the cylinder, the global buckling load and Knockdown factor increases by 304% and 53%, respectively, as compared to the results without the internal pressure.