Abstract
In the present paper, the dent and its recovery phenomena of spherical shells due to compression by a moving rigid plate are investigated using the finite element method. The numerical results show that there are two different kinds of dents generated in the compression of spherical shells: one, called R-dent, can be completely recovered by unloading, and the other, called S-dent, are always remain after unloading, and that there are two different types of spherical shells, S-type and R-type, dependent on the possibility of the existence of R-dent. A classification chart of types is produced for various combinations of dimensions and material properties of spherical shells. Furthermore, it is revealed that the classification of types is possible by comparing the critical angle φc, which prescribes the classification of dents, with the angle φb when the buckling occurs.
