Thermo-elastic buckling characteristics of angle-ply laminated elliptical cylindrical shells

Here, the thermo-elastic buckling characteristics of angle-ply laminated elliptical cylindrical shells subjected to uniform temperature rise are studied to highlight the combined influences of non-circularity and ply-angle on the critical temperature parameter and buckling mode shapes. It is brought out that the rate of change of the critical temperature parameter with respect to ply-angle reduces significantly with the increase in the non-circularity parameter. Further the shells in the optimum ply-angle range are found to be highly sensitive to non-circularity whereas their sensitivity is very less away from the optimum ply-angle range. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.