Abstract
This paper addresses the static distortion and stress analysis of inflatable antenna structures subjected to a thermal load, which is a very important type of load experienced by such structures during service in orbit. Non-linear finite element analysis methods for inflatable structures were formulized, and the thermal stress of thin films was considered. The dynamic relaxation method was used to address the singularity problem of the stiffness matrix for the non-pre-stressed membrane structures. When the thermal load is changing, the state of the inflation gas inside the structure chamber varies, as well as the thermal stress of the membrane material. An iterative algorithm was presented to solve this coupling problem between thermal load, the structures, and inflation gas. The presented algorithm has been implemented into an own finite element code of inflatable structures. The thermal deformation and the stress distribution of a 3.2-m inflatable antenna structure were analyzed to illustrate the feasibility of the numerical method. The results indicated that the change in the state of the inflation gas adversely affects the structural performance, so the inflation gas must be considered.
Highlights
Membrane structures are excellent as architectural and aerospace ones
Thermal loads represent a very important type of load experienced by inflatable antenna structures during service in orbit
A thermal-structural analysis method was described for predicting the stress state in a thin-film membrane of a sunshield subjected to both mechanical and thermal loads (Johnston and Parrish 2003)
Summary
Membrane structures are excellent as architectural and aerospace ones. With respect to the latter, membranes are used to construct inflatable structures, such as inflatable antennas, sunshield structures, sail arrays, Mars explorers, space capsules, etc. X p ors ition vector of a material point in the the effect of the residual gas must be considered for thermal deformation analysis. The covariant basis vectors analysis method the variation in for the inflatable antenna structures state of the inflation gas in tchoensinidteerrinnagl ΩGt au r e: G G ,g x X
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