Structural Modeling of Inflated Foam-Rigidized Aerospace Structures
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 13, Issue 2
Abstract
An ideal aerospace structure would be inexpensive, a convenient size and weight for launch, easily deployed, and provide necessary stiffness/performance. This paper examines one type of potentially inexpensive, easily deployed space structure: the inflated foam-rigidized structure. Research aimed at gaining insight into the construction and structural characteristics of foam-rigidized inflated aerospace structures is presented in this paper. Sample foam-rigidized struts were fabricated using a two-part commercially available closed-cell polyurethane foam that was injected in a controlled fashion into a cylindrical Kapton shell. These struts were tested nondestructively to evaluate bending behavior and destructively to examine material characteristics. Testing of the foam-rigidized struts indicates that significant variations of material properties should be expected when injecting polyurethane foam into a single spot and allowing it to expand to fill a structure. An analytical model of the bending behavior of foam-rigidized inflated struts is also presented and compared with experimental bending data.
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Received: Jun 25, 1998
Published online: Apr 1, 2000
Published in print: Apr 2000
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