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This study investigates a method of designing a simplified cylindrical shell model. This model accurately predicts the dynamic characteristics of a prototype cylindrical shell with sealing teeth accurately. The significance of this study is that it provides an acceptable process which guides the design of test models. Firstly, an equivalent cylindrical shell with rectangular rings is designed by combining the energy equation and numerical analysis. Then the transfer matrixes of the stiffened cylindrical shell and the cylindrical shell are employed to calculate the equivalent thickness of the simplified cylindrical shell commonly used in model tests. Further, the equivalent thicknesses are normalized by introducing an average equivalent thickness. The distorted scaling laws and size applicable intervals are investigated to reduce the errors caused by the normalization. Finally, a 42CrMo cylindrical shell with sealing teeth is used as a prototype and a number 45 steel scaled-down cylindrical shell is used as a distorted test model. The accuracy of the prediction is verified by using experimental data, and the results indicate that the distorted model can predict the characteristics of the stiffened cylindrical shell prototype with good accuracy.