Numerical and experimental research on buckling design of reaction-wheel's sealed cowling structure

It is significant to ensure stability of the sealed cowling structure, which offers a safe work environment for the reaction-wheel. The stability of some kind of sealed cowling structure was quantitatively researched by the eigenvalue buckling technique and nonlinear analysis method based on the general software ANSYS. The shell shape as a key factor to affect the stability of the sealed cowling was pointed. A small protruding arc and large concave arc scheme was presented to design the sealed cowling structures. The application scopes of the eigenvalue buckling analysis and nonlinear buckling analysis were described aimed to the similar structures. The experimental results illustrate the practicability to predict the critical buckling load via nonlinear buckling analysis method in engineering. The researches are useful for the design and buckling analysis of similar structures.