Burst Pressures for Toriconical Shells: Experimental and Numerical Approach

Abstract

The paper describes burst pressures of eight mild steel toriconical shells and proposes a criterion for their ultimate loss of structural integrity based on true stress–strain material relationship. All test models were initially loaded by quasi-static external pressure until they buckled/collapsed. They were subsequently internally pressurized until burst. The details about the numerical process, which simulates the two-stage loading process, i.e., starting with buckling by external pressure being followed by reloading using internal pressure for up to the burst, are given. The paper concentrates on numerical procedure, which allows computation of the burst pressure using extensive plastic straining. It is shown that burst pressures based on the excessive plastic straining are closer to reality (and experiments) than those based on plastic instability.