A study of stress concentration effect around penetrations on curved shell and failure modes for deep-diving submersible vehicle

For deep-diving submersibles, penetrations in the pressure hull induced by discontinuities in the shell can generate stress concentration effects that represent one of the most interesting and challenging areas of structural design. However, only the slightest trace of rational theory, collateral test results or application techniques have been reported in open literature. Therefore, in this paper, an opened shallow cylindrical shell and deep-diving submersible vehicle GUPPY is adopted to investigate. In this study, the finite element procedure based on the Hibbitt and Karlsson's methodology is used to analyze the curvature effects and failure modes influence on stress concentrations around opening. These results can hopefully provide valuable insight for the future the designer of all underwater vehicles.