Deflection of hoops placed on two separate cylindrical rods

We study the deformation of a thin elastic cylindrical shell longitudinally placed on two parallel rods due to self-weight. The position of two contact lines, self-weight, and friction between the shell and rods affect the configuration of the shell. We first experimentally investigate the deflection of short cylindrical shells (hoops) for two cases. In the first case, we fabricate rings with various thicknesses and diameters and place them on identical supports. When the thickness to diameter of hoops is uniform, the size of the hoop governs the normalized deflection. When the thickness-to-diameter ratio increases while the diameter is fixed, the deflection of the hoop is reduced. Next, we vary the distance between the two rods to change the contact position of the hoop. Moreover, we conduct the finite element simulations and find good agreement with the experiment results. Furthermore, we develop the theoretical model to determine the deflection of soft hoops. Our results can be applied to develop strategies to handle nanorings, carbon nanotubes, and huge steel pipes.