Buckling of segmented carbon fiber composite cylindrical shells under hydrostatic pressure

In this work, the buckling behavior of carbon fiber composite cylindrical shells with different numbers of segments under hydrostatic pressure was investigated. Six composite cylindrical shells with different numbers of segments were designed and fabricated. The geometry and wall thickness of each composite cylindrical shell were measured, and hydrostatic pressure tests were carried out in a pressure chamber. Linear and nonlinear buckling analyses of composite cylindrical shells with different segments were performed according to the measured data. The damage initiation location and failure form depend on the Hashin damage criterion. Moreover, the effects of the inner diameter, thickness-to-diameter ratio, and length-to-diameter ratio on the buckling behavior of segmented carbon fiber composite cylindrical shells were analyzed. The results showed that segmentation can improve the buckling resistance of composite cylindrical shells.