Eur. Phys. J. E (2019) 42: 129
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2019-11900-2

Regular Article

Let’s deflate that beach ball

Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, 38000, Grenoble, France

^* e-mail: gwennou.coupier@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

Received: 15 March 2019
Accepted: 27 August 2019
Published online: 30 September 2019

Abstract

We investigate the relationship between pre-buckling and post-buckling states as a function of shell properties, within the deflation process of shells of an isotropic material. With an original and low-cost set-up that allows to measure simultaneously volume and pressure, elastic shells whose relative thicknesses span on a broad range are deflated until they buckle. We characterize the post-buckling state in the pressure-volume diagram, but also the relaxation toward this state. The main result is that before as well as after the buckling, the shells behave in a way compatible with predictions generated through thin shell assumption, and that this consistency persists for shells where the thickness reaches up to 0.3 the shell’s midsurface radius.