Stress Analysis Of An Open-Ended Thick-Walled Cylinder

Abstract

This study focuses on the stress analysis of open-ended, thick-walled cylindrical structures using ANSYS 18.1 finite element software. The analysis was conducted on cylinders with wall thicknesses of 50 mm, 60 mm, and 70 mm, each having a uniform length of 600 mm and an internal diameter of 330 mm. Internal pressures of 70 MPa, 80 MPa, 90 MPa, and 100 MPa were applied during the simulations. The materials selected for the analysis included aluminium alloys (Al), magnesium alloys (Mg), tungsten alloys (W), and stainless steel (SS). The simulation outcomes for both radial and hoop (circumferential) stresses were compared against theoretical calculations, with discrepancies found to be under 1%, confirming the model's accuracy. Results showed that as internal pressure increased, the induced stress within the cylinder walls also increased. Among the materials examined, stainless steel exhibited the minimum deformation under load, whereas tungsten alloys achieved the highest safety factor. The study concludes that ANSYS 18.1 is a reliable and efficient tool for evaluating stress in thick-walled pressure cylinders.