The Propagation of Radially Symmetric Stress Waves in Anisotropic Nonhomogeneous Elastic Media

Abstract

A study is made of the transient response of a thick-walled cylinder (plane-strain) or plate (plane-stress) subjected to an axially symmetric time-dependent pressure (or velocity) at an internal or external surface. The material of the structure is orthotropic with cylindrical anisotropy and, in addition, is continuously inhomogeneous with mechanical properties varying along the radius. The curvilinear characteristics in the space-time plane are transformed into straight lines of equal slope so that numerical errors can be minimized. The problem is then solved using numerical integration of the characteristic equations in the transformed space-time plane and incorporates the exact jump conditions across discontinuous wave fronts.