Testing and Analysis of Additively Manufactured Stainless Steel Corrugated Cylindrical Shells in Compression

Initial geometric imperfections have been identified as the main cause for large discrepancies between experimental and theoretical buckling loads of thin-walled circular cylindrical shells under axial compression. The extreme sensitivity to has previously addressed mitigated through introduction stiffeners; however, still remains. Optimized corrugated are largely insensitive hence exhibit excellent load-bearing capacities, but their complex geometries make construction difficult costly using conventional manufacturing techniques. This was overcome in present study additive (AM). Nine optimized with different diameter-to-thickness ratios, together one reference shell, were additively manufactured by means powder bed fusion (PBF) from austenitic martensitic precipitation hardening stainless steel. structural behavior AM then investigated experimentally testing program comprising tensile coupon tests, measurements basic properties, compression tests. Numerical analyses also conducted following completion physical experiments. numerical results verified effectiveness achieving improved local capacity reduced imperfection sensitivity. recommendations design studied cross-sections made.