Nonlinear deformation and stability of oval cylindrical shells under combined loading.

A study is made of the stability of cylindrical shells of oval cross section loaded by a shear force combined with torsional and bending moments. The variational method of finite elements in displacements is used. The subcritical stress-strain state of the shells is considered momental and nonlinear. The effects of the nonlinearity of shell deformation and shell ovalization on the critical load and buckling mode are determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]