Strength Assessment of a Pressurized Thick-Walled Cylinder Using Structural-Thermal Coupled Finite Element Analysis

Upon analysis, thick wall cylinders designed for use in cannon barrel applications experience thermal and mechanical loading very near their fatigue limit. Chief factors in determining the lifetime of a cannon barrel involve internal thermal and mechanical damage caused by projectile firing. The most significant damage experienced in the cannon barrel is surface crack propagation which aids in surface erosion and fatigue failure. Adequate knowledge of these failure phenomena and the ability to predict the lifetime of gun barrels will greatly increase the successful application of their designs. This study will investigate three-dimensional stress of a pressurized thick cylinder using computer simulation based on structural-thermal coupled finite element analysis. The effects of high temperature and high pressure, as well as nonlinear material behavior, on stress-strain distribution during the firing process will be evaluated. This computer-based stress analysis will prove to be a valuable tool for assessing strength and forecasting the lifetime of cannon barrels.