Abstract: The choice of materials used in making retaining rings for generator plays very important role in studying large central power statior. generators.The unility of advanced composites which have a high stiffnes-to-weight ratio, high strength-to-weight can offer significant advantages to electrical industry.The composite retaining ring is a laminated shell of uniform-thickness orthotropic layers.The forces acting upon the ring are the centrifugal f once (ω=3000 rpm),thermal stresses due to the difference of the temperature between the inner and outer surfaces of the ring and the unsymmetrical pressures of the coils exerted on the inner surface.In this paper a generalized laminated shell finite element formula including transverse shear strains is presented and a tomputer programme is written for this problem.