Role of the spiral moving load in the vibrational response of thin-walled tubes

• Published in: Thin-walled structures Vol. 217; p. 113862
• Main Authors: Ostadhossein, Niayesh, Ramezani, Hamed, Farrokhabadi, Amin, Mirzaei, Majid
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2025
• Subjects: Elastodynamic response; Finite element analysis; Spiral moving load; Structural vibrations; Thin-walled cylindrical tube; Spiral moving load; Elastodynamic response; Thin-walled cylindrical tube; Finite element analysis; Structural vibrations
• ISSN: 0263-8231
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tws.2025.113862

•A novel analytical framework for structural behavior of thin-walled tubes under spiral loads was developed.•First-time characterization of elastodynamic response across diverse spiral profiles and boundary conditions.•Comprehensive study on asymmetry effects in spiral loads, revealing their impact on vibrational behavior.•Validated the accuracy and credibility of the proposed analytical method through detailed FEM simulations. This research proposes a specific type of moving loads and study on the vibrational behavior of a thin-walled tube subjected to this effective loading. “Spiral moving Pressure” is the subject of discussion which is a novel issue in technology with potential applications in both theoretical and practical problems in various fields of sciences such as aviation and aerospace with direct application in detonation engines which is a remarkable topic for the next generation of propulsion systems and power generation. Detonation engines generate thrust through rapid cycles of gaseous detonations. In this specific loading profile, detonations rotate and travel along a helical path along the inner surface of the tube, making this configuration a promising candidate for providing highly efficient and continuous thrust, offering significant potential for next-generation spacecrafts, advanced aircraft, hypersonic flight, high-speed naval vessels, autonomous underwater vehicles, future vehicles for deep-space missions. While previous studies have investigated pulsatory moving loads, this work explores the introduction of spiral-shaped internal moving pressure and provides a comprehensive analysis of its effects on structural response. The study presents both analytical formulations and extensive numerical simulations to investigate the transient elastodynamic response of finite-length circular cylindrical shells subjected to rotating moving pressure. First, the spiral loading profile is introduced, followed by the formulation of the structural response. The solutions are obtained using the mode-summation method. The analysis considers a longitudinal propagation speed close to the second critical speed, while accounting for the effects of shear deformation and rotary inertia. Subsequently, the response formulation is extended to cases with different boundary conditions. Furthermore, the analyses are conducted over a wide range of scenarios, including various profiles of spiral load and different pressure magnitudes for single and sequential moving pressures. The results of the analytical solutions are validated through comprehensive comparisons with numerical outcomes, achieved by conducting extensive series of finite element simulations. An excellent agreement between the analytical and numerical results of two different models, showed the accuracy of the formulation and modelling and also the noticeable agreement between the theoretical predictions and numerical results underscored the higher precision, superior efficiency and robustness of the solution procedures. Moreover, the findings establish a solid foundation for further exploration of spiral moving pressure in structural dynamics, offering insights that can be leveraged in future studies as well as in related high-frequency dynamic systems. [Display omitted]