Effects of Welding-Induced Imperfections on Behavior of Space Shuttle Superlightweight Tank

Autor:	Timothy J. Collins, Michael P. Nemeth, James H. Starnes, Richard D. Young
Rok vydání:	1999
Předmět:	Engineering business.industry Aerospace Engineering Space Shuttle Welding Structural engineering Thin-shell structure law.invention Nonlinear system Buckling Space and Planetary Science law Space Shuttle thermal protection system Sensitivity (control systems) business Buckle
Zdroj:	Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets. 36:812-819
ISSN:	1533-6794 0022-4650
DOI:	10.2514/2.3519
Popis:	Results of linear-bifurcation buckling and nonlinear analyses of the Space Shuttle superlightweight external liquid-oxygen tank are presented for an important prelaunch loading condition. These results show the effects of actual, measured welding-induced initial geometric imperfections on an important response mode for thin-walled shellsthataresubjectedtocombinedmechanicalandthermalloads.Thistypeofinitialgeometricimperfectionmay be encountered in the design of other liquid-fuel launch vehicles. Results are presented that show that the liquidoxygen tank will buckle in the barrel section, but at load levels nearly four times the magnitude of the operational load level, and will exhibit stable postbuckling behavior. The actual measured imperfections are located in this sectionofthetank. Resultsofimperfection sensitivity analysesarepresented thatshowthat thelargestdegradation in the apparent membrane stiffnesses of the liquid-oxygen tank barrel section is caused by an imperfection shape that is in the form of the linear-bifurcation buckling mode with a relatively small amplitude. These results also show that the effect of the relatively large-amplitude measured imperfection is benign.
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz:	https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=doi_________::28265bb719d7b61e07d4bf94ef675581 https://doi.org/10.2514/2.3519 Zobrazit plný text záznamu