Analytical analysis of the static interaction of fluid and cylindrical membrane structures

The static behavior of an inflated cylindrical membrane is theoretically investigated under different conditions of internal pressures, upstream and downstream fluid parameters. The membrane is attached to a horizontal base along two generators and can be inflated with a compressible fluid (air), an incompressible fluid (water), or a combination of them. The base width, curved perimeter, internal pressure, upstream and downstream fluid properties are given. Large deformation of the membrane due to the internal and external pressures makes the governing equation of the problem to be non-linear. In the present study, an analytical approach for the non-linear analysis of the static interaction of the fluid and the cylindrical membrane with different load distributions and boundary conditions is developed. Both geometric and equilibrium relations of the membrane element are used to obtain the membrane profile in explicit closed form. The validity of the present analytical approach is confirmed by comparing the results with experimental and numerical results obtained from the literature. It is shown that the present formulation is an appropriate method and a new approach to predict the static non-linear interaction of the fluid and the membrane structures with a good accuracy and less numerical effort.