Stability of Internally Pressurized Vessels With Ellipsoidal Heads

Cylindrical vessels with 2:1 ellipsoidal heads in the range of radius to thickness ratios from 200 to 5000 were analyzed with a finite element program to determine the internal pressures that would cause circumferential wrinkling (buckling). The vessels and heads were taken to be of equal thickness and linear work hardening was assumed wherever appropriate. The buckling pressures were obtained by the adjacent equilibrium method; thus, post-buckling behavior was not considered. Comparisons to other contemporary analyses and experimental data were also made.