Free vibration and buckling of a partially submerged clamped cylindrical tank under compression

Theoretical analysis and experimental study have been carried out on the free vibration and buckling under axial compression of a clamped-clamped cylindrical shell which partially contains liquid and is partially submerged. in a liquid. In the analysis, the thin elastic shell is assumed to be submerged in a rigid cylindrical container with finite diameter. Considering the effect of the static liquid pressures inside and outside the shell, coupled bulging-type natural frequencies and critical axial load parameters were calculated for some system parameters, i.e., the thickness ratio, the aspect ratio, the liquid heights, and compressive load parameter. The effects of liquid height both outside and inside the shell, and static compressive load, on the bulging-type natural frequency, were clarified. The results are summarized in the form of engineering design data from which one can easily predict the natural frequency and the critical load of a given tank partially submerged in a liquid and containing a liquid. To confirm the accuracy of the theoretical analysis, an experimental study was conducted on a test cylinder made of polyester film. On the natural frequency, excellent agreement between theoretical and experimental results was demonstrated. Some results were compared with those of a clamped-free shell to see the influence of the boundary condition. (C) 1998 Academic Press Limited.