Semi‐analytical assessment of free‐edge stress fields in circular cylindrical cross‐ply laminated shells subjected to transverse loads

The present work deals with the semi-analytical assessment of three-dimensional stress fields in circular cylindrical symmetrically and unsymmetrically laminated cross-ply shells undergoing different transverse loads. Starting from a closed-form plane-strain analysis innermost regions shell, elasticity solution is upgraded by higher-order displacement-based approach which enables developed method to capture state due free-edge effect thick, finite-length composite shells. In order realize this, shell panel discretized into number numerical layers respect thickness direction. By introducing priori unknown displacement functions interfaces those plies making use principle minimum elastic potential, system coupled ordinary differential equations obtained, which, however, can be solved utilizing state-space approach. results are verified through comparison existing analytical approaches literature finite element simulations it noted that works comparable accuracy, only at fraction computational effort coming full-scale computations.