Three-Dimensional Analytical Solution for an Axisymmetric Biharmonic Problem

In this paper, we propose a method for the solution of the axisymmetric boundary value problem for a finite elastic cylinder with assigned stress and/or displacements acting on the ends and side. The technique utilizes the Love representation, which allows for reduction of the solution of the elastic problem to the search for a biharmonic function on a cylindrical domain. In the solution method suggested here, we write the Love function with a Bessel expansion and analyze in detail the conditions under which it is possible to differentiate the expansion term by term. We show that this is possible only for a restricted class of elastic solutions. In the general case, we introduce two new auxiliary functions of the z-coordinate. In this way, we obtain the general form of the axisymmetric biharmonic function, which is discussed in relation to certain specific boundary conditions applied on the side and ends of the cylinder. We obtain an exact explicit solution of practical interest for a cylinder with free ends and assigned displacements applied to the side.