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Thin cylindrical shell: change in length and diameter

Short answer

Hoop stress 12.5 N/mm², longitudinal 6.25 N/mm². Hoop strain 5.18×10⁻⁵ gives δd = 0.00078 mm; longitudinal strain 1.22×10⁻⁵ gives δL = 0.049 mm (both increases).

A thin cylindrical shell 4m long and thickness 1.5cm is of 1.5cm internal diameter. Calculate the change in length and diameter if the shell is subjected to an internal pressure of 25 N/mm225\ \text{N/mm}^2. E=2.05×105 N/mm2E = 2.05\times10^5\ \text{N/mm}^2 and poisson's ratio = 0.3.

Data (as given): L=4000L = 4000 mm, t=15t = 15 mm, d=15d = 15 mm, p=25 N/mm2p = 25\ \text{N/mm}^2, E=2.05×105 N/mm2E = 2.05\times10^5\ \text{N/mm}^2, ν=0.3\nu = 0.3.

Stresses

σc=pd2t=25(15)2(15)=12.50 N/mm2,σl=pd4t=6.25 N/mm2\sigma_c = \frac{pd}{2t} = \frac{25(15)}{2(15)} = 12.50\ \text{N/mm}^2, \qquad \sigma_l = \frac{pd}{4t} = 6.25\ \text{N/mm}^2

Strains

εc=σc−νσlE=12.50−0.3(6.25)2.05×105=5.1829×10−5\varepsilon_c = \frac{\sigma_c-\nu\sigma_l}{E} = \frac{12.50-0.3(6.25)}{2.05\times10^5} = 5.1829\times10^{-5} εl=σl−νσcE=6.25−0.3(12.50)2.05×105=1.2195×10−5\varepsilon_l = \frac{\sigma_l-\nu\sigma_c}{E} = \frac{6.25-0.3(12.50)}{2.05\times10^5} = 1.2195\times10^{-5}

Changes

δd=εcd=0.00078 mm,δL=εlL=0.0488 mm\delta d = \varepsilon_c d = 0.00078\ \text{mm}, \qquad \delta L = \varepsilon_l L = 0.0488\ \text{mm}

Answer (data as given): δL≈0.049 mm\delta L \approx 0.049\ \text{mm} and δd≈0.0008 mm\delta d \approx 0.0008\ \text{mm} (both increases).

Note: with t=dt = d the shell is not really thin, so the thin-shell formulas are only approximate here. If the internal diameter was meant to be 150 mm, the same method gives σc=125.0\sigma_c = 125.0, σl=62.5 N/mm2\sigma_l = 62.5\ \text{N/mm}^2, δd=0.078\delta d = 0.078 mm and δL=0.488\delta L = 0.488 mm.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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