Geometrically nonlinear analysis of cylindrical shells using the element-free kp-Ritz method

In this paper, the geometrically nonlinear analysis of cylindrical shells is carried out using the element-free kp-Ritz method. The first-order shear deformation shell theory, which can cater for both thin and relatively thick shells, is utilized in the present study. Meshfree kernel particle functions are employed to approximate the two-dimensional displacement field. The nonlinear equilibrium equations are formulated by applying the Ritz procedure to the energy functional of shells. The Newton–Raphson method and the arc length technique are used to determine the load–displacement path. To validate the accuracy and stability of this method, convergence studies based on the support size and number of nodes were performed. Comparisons were also made with the existing results available in the open literature, and good agreement is obtained.