Analysis on aeroelastic stability of rectangular-planed air-supported membrane structures

Abstract

This research investigates aeroelastic stability of rectangular-planed air-supported membrane structures subjected to wind actions. By employing potential theory to tackle air flows, the relations between extra aerodynamic forces and structural motions are resolved through the utilization of the boundary element method and the finite element method, capturing the complexities associated with structural geometries and wind pressure distributions. By combining these extra aerodynamic forces with structural dynamic equilibrium equations, critical instability wind velocities for various structural vibration modes are derived. The simulation results are validated through aeroelastic wind tunnel tests, demonstrating a close alignment between the numerical findings and experimental observations in terms of the critical wind velocity and the corresponding instability mode. Additionally, the study analyzes influences of structural geometric configurations, internal pressures, and membrane tensile stiffness on the critical instability wind velocities and corresponding instability modes. It is observed that lower aspect ratios, smaller structural spans, higher internal pressures, and greater membrane tensile stiffness can increase the critical instability wind velocity, corresponding to variations in critical instability mode shapes. Results obtained from this research are expected to provide guidance for the development of wind-resistant designs for air-supported membrane structures.