Abstract
This paper deals with the design and prototyping of an ultrathin deployable tubular structure, made of composite material, which is expandable to a minimum length of 10 m in the deployed configuration. This structure has a small volume (2000 cm3) in the folded configuration, facilitating the transport and storage operations. Once deployed, the structure is able to support instrumentations with a weight of few kilograms, such as small antennas, cameras, sensors, and solar panels. We performed buckling analysis using the finite element method (FEM) by way of the commercial software ABAQUS 6.12. This numerical investigation was performed both to select the optimal geometrical configuration of cross section and to evaluate the critical load that leads to instability of the structure. Moreover, the effect of unavoidable geometrical variations of the thickness due to the composite manufacturing process was evaluated in non-linear buckling investigation. Fabrication process was deeply investigated to find suitable technological solutions to realize a 10-m boom component. Prototypes of 2 m and 4 m length have been produced and tested by loading the top end of both structures.
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