Numerical study of axially crushed cylindrical tubes with corrugated surface

In this paper, the nonlinear elastoplastic behavior of circular tubes with corrugated surfaces that are subjected to axial compression is studied using the finite element method. The corrugations are one of the dominant factors in influencing the deformation mode and they reduce fluctuations in the load-displacement curves for circular tubes. The numerical results show that the deformation modes corresponding to the corrugations can be classified into axisymmetric modes and asymmetric modes, and that the axisymmetric modes can be further classified into the progressive crush mode, in which the compressive force fluctuates with the formation of folds, and the simultaneous crush mode, in which the compressive force increases monotonically. These deformation modes are also observed in the crushing test of the aluminum alloy (A5052). A mode classification chart is produced for various combinations of the wavelength 2 lambda and the amplitude a of the corrugations. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.