Axisymmetric Snap Buckling of Conical Shells

The authors give a brief account of some of their recent analytical and numerical studies of cone buckling. limiting the discussion to axisymmetric deformations.

Pertinent numerical results for the relaxation buckling of full cones subjected to uniform external pressure and Belleville springs deformed by axial edge loads are presented. In addition. bifurcation buckling problems are discussed. For a specific case. the existence of Friedrichs' intermediate buckling load, P(m). as applied to cones. is established. Upper and lower bounds for its value are given.