Experimental study on the nonlinear vibrations of a circular cylindrical shells: Effects of thermal gradients

In this paper, an experimental study on the large amplitude vibrations of a thin polymeric cylindrical shell subjected to a thermal gradient across the thickness is presented. The effects of the temperature gradient on the shell dynamic behavior are investigated. The present study has the aim of providing a deeper contribution to the experimental literature on the shell structures. Test have been carried out in controlled environment condition thanks to a climatic chamber and a heater cartridge placed inside the shell. The shell carries a top mass and an electro-dynamic shaker has been used in order to excite, with a harmonic load, the test specimen in the longitudinal direction. The harmonic forcing load consists of a stepped-sine sweep with frequency band limits containing the resonance frequency of the first axisymmetric vibration mode. Four different excitation amplitude levels and two different thermal gradients have been considered. The experimental results are presented and discussed in detail by means of frequency response analysis and bifurcation analysis