Thermoelastic Buckling of Plates in a Cylindrical Geometry Against an Elastic Back Support

Abstract

A plate which is fixed at its edges to a strong edge support structure will develop large compressive stresses when heated from ambient temperature more rapidly than the support structure. Determining the response of the plate to this situation requires stability analysis to ascertain whether the plate might buckle, or whether the constrained thermal expansion will lead to compressive stresses exceeding the yield point because it did not buckle. A special case is considered here, both analytically and experimentally, in which the plate is curved slightly into a cylindrical shape and the convex face of the plate is against a supporting surface. This case is more complex because the buckling mode will be a harmonic rather than the fundamental mode which is usually encountered.