Description Externally pressurized cylinders may deform in different ways depending on their geometry and external load level. These include uniform elastic and plastic deformation and elastic and elastic-plastic buckling. These deformation modes must be considered in design of pressure vessels subject to external pressure loading and design of submersible vehicles. However, this particular project will consider the behaviors with respect to external hydroforming processes, in which cylinders are compressed by external pressure to form seals and joints. Such processes are used in the Oil and Gas and other industries. The project is suitable for a student interested in advanced FEA, structural integrity assessment and metal forming processes. Key Objectives The key objectives of the project are to: Research/review elastic and elastic-plastic buckling of cylinders under external pressure. Perform a Finite Element Analysis parametric study of the buckling behavior of a range of cylinder geometries. Determine suitable geometry ranges for forming process applications.