Exact benchmark solutions of random vibration responses for thin-walled orthotropic cylindrical shells

Abstract The exact solutions of random vibration responses of orthotropic thin cylindrical shells are imperative for verifying numerical approaches. This study proposes the discrete analytical method (DAM) and achieves the exact benchmark responses of thin-walled orthotropic cylindrical shells under stationary and nonstationary random excitations for the first time. Firstly, by revisiting the governing motion equations of elastic orthotropic shells based on the Flugge shell theory, the closed-form modal shape functions of orthotropic cylindrical shell with shear diaphragm boundary condition are introduced into stationary and nonstationary random vibration analyses. The power spectral density functions and root mean squares (RMSs) for stochastic responses of thin shell subjected to various random excitations, including the point, surface, base acceleration and moving excitations, are analytically derived by using the pseudo excitation method. Moreover, DAM is proposed to enhance the computational efficiency by implementing the discretization of the modal coordinates, frequency and temporal domains. Finally, the exact benchmark solutions of stationary and nonstationary stochastic responses are achieved, and the results indicate high accuracy and efficiency of proposed DAM. The excitation bandwidth and spatial distribution have significantly different effects on various types of responses, and maximum response RMS declines with increasing of acceleration of moving load.