Edge fixing effect on the life of a vacuum chamber thin spherical cover subjected to creep damage

Abstract

Within framework of the numerical studies of creep resource of a thin spherical cover of a vacuum chamber, we present mathematical formulation and the calculation method for the solution of the initial boundary value problems of the creep theory of thin shells with account of the damage accumulation process of the material. The effect of edge fixing along the normal and tangential lines to the median surface, as well as angular edge fixings, on the cover life in creep are studied under atmospheric pressure creep conditions. The calculation data obtained made it possible to determine the dependence between the cover life in creep and its edge fixing conditions: this effect is strong by the latent fracture time and weak by the allowable deflection values