Free vibration of thick circular cylindrical shells subjected to axial stresses

A two-dimensional higher-order shell theory is applied to the free vibration problems of a simply supported cylindrical shell subjected to axial stresses. The effects of higher-order deformations such as shear deformations with thickness changes and rotatory inertia on natural frequencies of a thick elastic circular cylindrical shells are studied. Based on the power series expansion of displacement components, a set of fundamental dynamic equations of a two-dimensional higher-order shell theory is derived through Hamilton's principle. Several sets of truncated approximate theories which can take into account the complete effects of higher-order deformations are applied to solve the vibration problems of a simply supported thick circular cylindrical shell. In order to assure the accuracy of the present theory, the convergence of the natural frequencies is examined and the results are compared with those obtained in existing theories. (C) 1998 Academic Press Limited.