Snap-through boundaries of metal plates under thermo-acoustic load based on probability theory

A novel theoretical method is developed to determine the snap-through boundaries of thin-walled plates under thermal and acoustic load. By accounting for the correlation between the acoustic load probability distribution and the extreme points of the stiffness curves, an analytic snap-through boundary is derived in the parameter plane of the buckling coefficient and the sound pressure level. The accuracy of this method is verified by finite element analysis and existing literature. The effect of influence factors was investigated in detail. This work should provide a basis for structural safety evaluation and design optimization.