Thick Cylinder Experiment

Dr P Wardle

p.wardle@staffs.ac.uk

MECH60454 Advanced Engineering Analysis

MECH60500 Stress Analysis DL

Laboratory Assignment

THICK-WALLED CYLINDER

Apparatus SM1011 Thick Cylinder (TQ Education and Training Ltd)

Thick Cylinder Experiment

Dr P Wardle

p.wardle@staffs.ac.uk

1. Description of the Cylinder

This laboratory exercise enables the student to investigate the distribution of radial and
hoop stresses and strains throughout the walls of a thick- walled cylinder under internal
pressure and to compare experimental results with the theoretical Lam predictions. The
experiment aims to teach students about:

Stress and Strain distributions in the walls of a thick cylinder under internal pressure.
How to predict the stress and strain in thick cylinder.
The use of strain gauges in mechanical design.
Shear stress in thick cylinders.

The cylinder is made from aluminium alloy in two halves cemented together. One face of
the joint has an eccentric shallow groove containing ten strain gauges at carefully
determined radii and orientation. These measure radial and hoop strains from which the
corresponding stresses are calculated. The groove is completely filled with jointing cement.
Additional strain gauges on the inner and outer walls enable the measurement of
longitudinal and circumferential strains. A digital display on the front of the apparatus
shows the strains measured at each gauge.
The cylinder is mounted in a sturdy frame and the whole unit complete with a hydraulic
hand pump for applying pressure is fitted to a modular steel base. A mechanical Bourdon
pressure gauge shows oil pressure in the cylinder and an electronic pressure transducer is
fitted to the pressure line to allow connection to TQ Versatile Data Acquisition System VDAS
(Optional).
All strain gauges are temperature compensated forming a full bridge high stability circuit for
each channel.
2. General Information

Material Aluminium Alloy type HE15

Apparatus Nett weight 30kg
Youngs Modulus (E) - 73GN/m2
Poissons Ratio () 0.33
Max. Test Pressure 7MN/m2
Strain Gauges Electrical Resistance
Five Hoop strain
Five Radial strain
Two Circumferential
One Longitudinal

Thick Cylinder Experiment

Dr P Wardle

p.wardle@staffs.ac.uk

3. Experimental Procedure and Data Aquisition

i.)

Allow current to flow through the gauges for 30 minutes at least and with
zero gauge pressure obtain a balance reading for each gauge. N.B The more
time you allow for the system to stabilise, the more repeatable and accurate
your results will be.

ii.)

Record the position and orientation of each strain gauge. See Figure 1 below.

Figure 1. Distribution of strain gauges through the cylinder wall.

iii.)

Increase the internal pressure by increments of 1MN/m2 up to 7MN/m2 and

for each increment take a reading from each of the 13 strain gauges. (Use the
data sheet provided). At each increment, wait for the readings to stabilise
and record the readings in you results table. WARNING - DO NOT EXCEED A
CYLINDER PRESSURE OF 7MN/m2.

iv.)

Reduce the pressure back to 0.MN/m2 and repeat iii.) to verify your strain
gauge data.

Thick Cylinder Experiment

Dr P Wardle

p.wardle@staffs.ac.uk

4. Theory
Recall the elementary Lam equations for thick cylinders:-

r A

B
r2

[1]

H A

B
r2

[2]

and

1
H r
E

1
r H
E

[3]

[4]

H r

[5]

For a thick walled cylinder of internal radius ri and external radius ro acting under an
internal pressure P, the general expressions for radial and hoop stresses may be
given by:

[6]

ri 2 ro2
1
P 2
ro ri 2 r 2

[7]

ri 2
r P 2 2
ro ri

ro2
1 2
r

From Eqn`s 3 & 4 it can be shown that,

E
H r
1 2

[8]

and

E
r H
1 2

[9]

Hence Eqn`s 8 & 9 can be used to derive stresses from experimentally measured strains.

Thick Cylinder Experiment

Dr P Wardle

p.wardle@staffs.ac.uk

According to Eqn`s 6 & 7 the variation of the two principal stresses

and

H is shown

plotted through the cylinder wall in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2. Variation of r and H through the cylinder wall.

5. Results
i.)
ii.)
iii.)
iv.)
v.)
vi.)
vii.)
viii.)

Plot experimental values of against radial position for all gauges.

Plot theoretical values of against radial position for all gauges.
Compare theoretical and experimental data from i.) & ii.)
Plot experimental values of against pressure for all gauges.
For a pressure of 4.5MPa, obtain faired values of strain from iv.)
Compare experimental faired values of strain with the theoretical
predictions.
Plot and compare experimental and theoretical stress distributions
throughout the cylinder wall.
Plot a Lam line for each pressure increment. Show both theoretical and
experimental results on each graph.

Thick Cylinder Experiment

Dr P Wardle

p.wardle@staffs.ac.uk

6. Discussion and Conclusions

i.)

Do the Lam equations predict the stress and strain in thick cylinders?

ii.)

Do the results prove the linearity of the strain/pressure response?

iii.)

What do you notice about the measured hoop and radial strains as they get
nearer to the cylinder bore?

iv.)

What do you notice about the longitudinal strain at gauge 12?

v.)

If there are any discrepancies between measured and calculated stresses and
strains, give the percentage errors and signify at what radius these occur.

vi.)

Does the technique of placing strain gauges throughout a component seem a

useful one for three dimensional investigations? Comment on the practical
difficulties of making the cylinder in two halves and how this imperfection
might affect the results.

vii.)

Other comments.

7. Recommended References
Mechanics of Engineering Materials, P.P.Benham. R.J.Crawford & C.G.Armstrong.

Thick Cylinder Experiment

Dr P Wardle

8. Sample blank Results Table

p.wardle@staffs.ac.uk