A quick method for analyzing dynamic responses of axisymmetric structures under lateral impulsive loadings

Dynamic responses of axisymmetric structures under lateral impulsive loadings are often analyzed by analytical/semi-analytical methods or direct finite element simulations. But sometimes, all those methods have disadvantages or limitations such as complexity, high computational cost, etc. This paper proposes a quick method to solve this kind of problems based on finite element analysis and superposition principle of linear dynamics. In this method, firstly, the impulsive loading is discretized into finite loading elements by generating lines of the body of rotation. Secondly, the structural responses induced by a unique loading element are calculated by finite element method. Thirdly, by coordinate rotation and linear superposition, the responses under various lateral loadings with complicated distributions are obtained from the responses under the unique loading element. In the end, examples are given to show the validity and features of high efficiency, convenience and flexibility of this method.