A Comparison between the 3D and the Kirchhoff-Love Solutions for Cylinders under Creep-Damage Conditions

Abstract

The 3D theory of creep deformation and creep damage growth in a cylindrical body of revolution is considered. Constitutive equations describing the creep deformation and unilateral creep damage in initially isotropic materials with characteristics dependent on the kind of the stress state are discussed. The numerical approach to obtain the 3D solution for a cylinder under creep-damage conditions is developed. The numerical results generated by the proposed 3D theory are compared with the analogous results based on the Kirchhoff-Love model. Thin and moderately thick cylindrical shells of revolution made from the material with the creep and creep damage characteristics dependent on the kind of the stress state are considered in this comparative analysis. The influence of tension–compression asymmetry on the stress-strain state and damage evolution with time in thin and moderately thick cylindrical shells is discussed. If it is assumed that the properties of the shell material do not depend on the kind of the stress state, this could lead to an overprediction of the creep damage growth and a significant underestimation of the failure initiation time.