Distributed transfer function method for analysis of cylindrical shells

A distributed transfer function method for static and dynamic analysis of general cylindrical shells is proposed. The distributed transfer functions of a cylindrical shell, the Laplace transforms of the shell Green's functions, are first derived. Stepped shells composed of a finite number of serially connected shell segments are then synthesized using these transfer functions. In this formulation, exact and closed-form solutions for various static and dynamic problems of cylindrical shells under arbitrary boundary conditions and external loads are obtained. Numerical examples are provided to show the efficiency and flexibility of the transfer function method.