Abstract:
This paper presents a geometrical nonlinear finite element analysis for bellows under arbitrary load. Considering the structural characteristics, the bellows was idealized as a series of conical frusta elements with two nodes, joined at nodal circles. The load and displacement were expanded in Fourier series in circumferential angle. The geometrical nonlinear equations of bellows were derived in the Updated Lagrangian formulation and discreted by finite element method. The geometrical nonlinear analysis of bellows can be completed effectively by using incremental load method and NewtonRaphson iterative method. The numerical results show that the method is rational.