Dynamic short-wave buckling of thin-walled cylindrical shells upon local action of an external pressure pulse

We present the results of experimental investigations of dynamic instability (buckling) of thin-walled cylindrical shells upon local action of an external pressure impulse. In order to create the local short-term loading, we used pulsed radiation from a CO₂ laser. The test pieces were smooth and reinforced shells made from aluminum alloys. The nature of the buckled wave in the treated region and the magnitude of the critical impulse correspond to the short-wave type of buckling in the shell and are determined by the amplitude of the pressure pulse. Axial static compression of the shell leads to a decrease in the critical impulse and an increase in the number of waves in the meridional direction within the treated region.Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 4, pp. 36–43, April, 1995.