UNIT 5

Equation of equilibrium for shells of surface of revolution, Reduction to two differential

equations of second order. Spherical shells, membrane theory for shells of double
curvature-syn-elastic and anti-elastic. Cylindrical shells, Hyperbolic-parabolic shells,
funicular shells.

EQUATION OF EQUILIBRIUM FOR SHELLS OF SURFACE OF

REVOLUTION
Membrane Theory for Surface of Revolution with Axisymmetric Loading:
Shells that have the form of surface of revolution find extensive application in various kinds
of containers, tanks and domes.
A surface of revolution is the surface obtained by revolving a plane curve about an axis in its
own plane. The curve is called as ‘meridian’ and plane of the curve is called as; meridian
plane’ Intersections of the shell with planes normal to axis of revolution are called ‘parallel
circles’. The position of meridian is defined by an angle θ measured from some datum
meridian plane and the Position of a parallel circle is defined by angle ϕ made by the normal
to the surface and axis of revolution. The meridian plane and the plane perpendicular to the
meridian at a point are the planes of principal curvature at the point. The corresponding radii
of curvatures are r1 and r2 respectively. Radius of parallel circle is denoted by r0 so that the
length of the sides of the element meeting at O ,as shown in figure . Let the angle subtended
by the element at the centers of curvature be dϕ and dθ.

Fig 1
The dimensions of the element are r1 dϕ in y direction and r0 dθ in x direction.
Therefore the area of element is =r1 r0 dθ dϕ. Eq(1)

But from fig 1

r 0 ⅆθ=r ❑
2 sinϕⅆθ

The surface area of the element is then

r 1 r❑2 sinϕ dϕⅆθ eq(2)
In writing the equations of equilibrium of the element, let us begin with the forces in the
direction of the tangent to the meridian. On the upper edge of the element the force N ∅ is
acting over the length r0 dθ therefore total force on the upper edge

eq(3)
∂ Nϕ
Similarly corresponding force on the lower edge of the element, is ( N ∅ + ⅆϕ) acting over the
∂ϕ
∂ r0
length (r 0 + ⅆϕ). Therefore total force on the lower edge is
∂ϕ
∂ Nϕ ∂ r0
( N∅+ ⅆϕ)(r 0 + ⅆϕ) eq(4)
∂ϕ ∂ϕ
From equation (3) and (4), by neglecting small quantities of second order we find the resultant in
the y direction to be equal to
 eq(5)

The forces acting on the lateral edges of the element are equal to “ N θ r 1 dϕ” and have a resultant
in the direction of the radius of parallel circle equals to “ N θ r 1 dϕdθ”. Component of this force in
y direction is
−N θ r 1 cos ϕ dϕdθ eq(6)

The component of external force/body force in the same direction is

−Yr 1 r 2 dϕdθ

Therefore now sum up the all forces in y direction, from equation (5), (6) and considering body
force, we get the equation of equilibrium in the direction of the meridian becomes,

eq(7)
:.This is first Equation of equilibrium
The second equation of equilibrium is obtained by summing up the projection of the forces in the
z direction. The forces acting on the upper and lower edges of the element have a resultant in z
direction equal to
N ϕ r 0 dϕdθ eq.(8)

The forces acting on the lateral sides of the element having the resultant N θ r 1 dϕdθ in the radial
direction of the parallel circle gives a component in the z direction of the magnitude
N ϕ r 1 sin ϕ dϕdθ eq.(9)

The external load acting on the element has in the same direction a component
Zr 1 r 0 dϕdθ eq.(10)

Therefore sum up the forces in z direction; we obtained the second equation of equilibrium
Therefore from equations (8), (9) and (10) we get

eq.(11)
:.This is second Equation of equilibrium
From the two equations (7) and(11) the forces N ϕ ∧N θ can be calculated in each particular
case if the radii r 0 ∧r 1 and the components of Y and Z of the intensity of the external load are
given.
Instead of the equilibrium of an element , the equilibrium of the portion of the shell above the
parallel circle defined by the angle ϕ may be considered as in shown in figure.

If the resultant of the total load on that portion of the shell is denoted by R , the equation of
equilibrium is
2 π r 0 N ϕ sin ϕ+ R=0 eq(12)
This equation can be used instead of differential equation (7) from which it can be obtained
by integration. If equation (7) is divided by r1r0 ,it can be written in the form
Since r0 = r2 sin ϕ

eq(13)

It is seen that N ϕ when is obtained from eq.(12),the forces N θ can be calculated from
eq(13).Hence the problem of membrane stresses cab be readily solved in each particular case.
Let us consider the condition of equlibrium of an element cut from a shell by two adjacent
meridian planes and two sections perpendicular to the meridians (fig).It can be concluded from
the condition of symmatry that only normal stresses will act on the sides of the element lying in
the meridian planes.The stresses can be reduced to the resultant force N θ r 1 dϕ,and the resultant
moment M θ r 1 dϕ , N θ∧M θbeing independent of the angle θ which defines the position of the
meridians.The sides of the element perpendicular to the meridian which is defined by the
angle ϕ is acted upon by normal stresses which result in the force N ϕ r 2 sin ϕ dθ , and the
moment M ϕ r 2 sin ϕ dθ, and by shearing force Qϕ r 2 sin ϕ dθ , normal to the shell.The external
load acting upon the element can be resolved as before into two components Yr 1 r 2 sin ϕ dϕdθ

and Zr 1 r 2 sin ϕ dϕdθ tangent to the meridian and normal to the shell,respectively. Assuming that
the membrane forces Nθ and Nϕ do not approach their critical values, we neglect the change of
curvature in deriving the equation of equlibrium and proceed as before.in eq(7) the term -Qϕr0
ⅆ (Q ϕ r0 )
must be added to the left hand side.also in equation(11) an additional term must be
ⅆϕ
added to the left hand side.The third equation is obtained by considering the equlibrium of the
moments with respect to the tangent to the parallel circle of all the forces acting on the
element.
This gives
∂ Mϕ ∂r 0
( M ∅+ ⅆϕ)(r 0 + ⅆϕ)dθ - M ϕ r 0 dθ - M θ r 1 cos ϕ dϕ dθ❑- Q ϕ r 2 sin ϕ r 1 dϕ dθ❑= 0
∂ϕ ∂ϕ
After Simplification with the other two equation gives us the following system of three
equations of equilibrium
∂
( N r )−N ϕ r 1 cos ϕ−r 0 Q ϕ +r 0 r 1 Y =0
∂ϕ ϕ 0
ⅆ ( Qϕ r 0 )
N ϕ r 0+ N θ r 1 sin ϕ+ +Z r0 r1 = 0
ⅆϕ
∂
( M r )−M θ r 1 cos ϕ−Q ϕ r 1 r 0=0
∂ϕ ϕ 0

Eq(14)
In these three equations of equilibrium are five unknown quantities , three resultant forces
N ϕ N θ ∧Qϕand two resultant moments M θ∧M ϕ .The number of unknowns can be reduced to
three if we express the membrane forces and the moments in nterms of the components v and
w of the displacement.

Membrane theory for surface of revolution with unsymmetrical loading:

Considering again an element cut from a shell by two adjacent meridians and two parallel
circles as shown in figure, in general case not only normal forces N ϕ ∧N θ but also shearing
forces N ϕθ =N θϕ will act on the sides of the element. Area of the element is given in equation
(2)
Taking the sum of the projections in the y direction of all forces acting on the element, we
must add to the forces considered in the equations (5), (6) and External force. The shearing
force

eq(15)
Representing the difference in the shearing forces acting on the lateral sides of the element,
hence by adding equation (5) (6), External force and equation (15), we obtain the equation

eq(16)

The second equation of equilibrium is obtained by summing up the projection of the forces in
the x direction; we must include the difference of the shearing forces acting on the top and
bottom of the element as given by the expression

eq(17)
The force

Due to variation of the force N ϕ and the force

eq(18)
Due to the small angle cos ϕ between the shearing forces N θϕ acting on the lateral sides of the
element. The component in x direction of the external load acting on the element is

eq(19)
Summing up all these forces, we obtain the equation

eq(20)
The third equation of equilibrium is obtained by projecting the forces on the z axis. Since the
projection of shearing forces on this axis vanishes, the third equation confirms with equation
(13), which was derived for symmetrical bending.
The problem of determining membrane stresses under unsymmetrical loading reduces to the
solution of equations (16), (20) and (13) for given values of components X, Y and Z of the
intensity of the external load.

REDUCTION TO TWO DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS OF SECOND ORDER

∂
( N r )−N ϕ r 1 cos ϕ−r 0 Q ϕ +r 0 r 1 Y =0
∂ϕ ϕ 0
ⅆ ( Qϕ r 0 )
N ϕ r 0+ N θ r 1 sin ϕ+ +Z r0 r1 = 0
ⅆϕ
∂
( M r )−M θ r 1 cos ϕ−Q ϕ r 1 r 0=0
∂ϕ ϕ 0
In these three equations of equilibrium are five unknown quantities , three resultant forces
N ϕ N θ ∧Qϕand two resultant moments M θ∧M ϕ .The number of unknowns can be reduced to
three if we express the membrane forces and the moments in terms of the components v and
w of the displacement. By using deformation produced by membrane stresses,we obtained
the strain components of the middle surface of the expression
1 dv ω v ω
ε ϕ= − ε θ= cot ϕ−
r 1 ⅆϕ r 1 r2 r2

Frm which by using Hooks’s law

Eh 1 ⅆv v
N ϕ=
[(
1−ν r 1 ⅆϕ
2 )
−ω + ( v cot ϕ−ω )
r2 ]
Eh 1 v ⅆv
N θ=
[
1−ν r 2
2
( v cot ϕ−ω )+ (
r 1 ⅆϕ
−ω )]
 Eq(1)
To get similar expression for the moments M ϕ ∧M θ let us consider the changes of curvature
of the shell element shown in fig 1. Considering the upper and the lower sides of that element
we see that the initial angle between these two sides is dϕ .Because of the displacement v
along the meridian the upper side of the element rotates with respect to the perpendicular to
the meridian plane by the amount v/r1. As a result of displacement w , the same side further
rotates about the same axis by the amount dw/(r1dϕ).Hence the total rotation of the upper side
of element is
v ⅆw
+
r 1 r 1 ⅆϕ

For the lower side of the element the rotation is

v ⅆw ⅆ v ⅆw
+ + + (
r 1 r 1 ⅆϕ ⅆϕ r 1 r 1 ⅆϕ )
dϕ