Solution strategies for linear and nonlinear instability phenomena for arbitrarily thin shell structures

In order to describe nonlinear response and instability behaviour the paper starts with the total potential energy considering the basic kinematic equations of a consistent nonlinear shell theory for large displacements and moderate rotations. The material behaviour is assumed to be hyperelastic and isotropic. The incrementation and discretization of the total potential energy leads to the tangent stiffness relation, which is the central equation of computational algorithms based on combined incremental and iterative techniques. Here a symmetrized form of the RIKS/WEMPNER-algorithm for positive and negative load incrementation represents the basis of the nonlinear solution technique. To detect secondary equilibrium branches at points of neutral equilibrium within nonlinear primary paths a quadratic eigenvalue-problem has to be solved. In order to follow those complicated nonlinear response phenomena the RIKS/WEMPNER incrementation/iteration process is combined with a simultaneous solution of the linearized quadratic eigenvalue-problem. Additionally the essentials of a recently derived family of arbitrarily curved shell elements for linear (LACS) and geometrically nonlinear (NACS) shell problems are presented. The main advantage of these elements is the exact description of all geometric properties as well as the energy-equivalent representation of the applied loads in combination with an efficient algorithm to form the stiffness submatrices. Especially the NACS-elements are designed to improve the accuracy of the solution in the deep postbuckling range including moderate rotations. The derived finite elements and solution strategies are applied to a certain number of typical shell problems to prove the precision of the shell elements and to demonstrate the possibilities of tracing linear and nonlinear bifurcation problems as well as snap-through phenomena with and without secondary bifurcation branches. (orig.)