Analysis of a Celestial Icosahedron
Publication: Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 148, Issue 1
Abstract
This paper presents the experimentation and finite-element analysis of a unique structure called a celestial icosahedron. The structure is being considered in a project related to lighter-than-air vehicles. The dimensions of the vehicle are adjusted to fit into an additive manufactured facility. A celestial is made up of nine rings symmetrically placed in a spherical arrangement. This is one of several structures that have been considered in the overall project. The uniqueness of this structure lies in its makeup; nine rings combined together through an additive manufactured (AM) facility. The structure was experimentally loaded in a MTS Systems Corporation machine under a concentrated compression load. A finite-element analysis was carried out, and the results compared with the experiment. The model considers the effect of anisotropic characteristics through the use of the rule of mixtures based on the presence of compression and tension moduli in specific portions of the load distribution yielding a generalized effective modulus. It was found, with the use of commercially available software, that the results of nonlinear analysis compared reasonably well with the experimental findings.
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Data Availability Statement
Data to form Figs. 11 and 14 are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under JON 21-568. We would also like to thank Travis Shelton for his assistance in manufacturing the specimens.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 148 • Issue 1 • January 2022
Copyright
© 2021 Published by American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 19, 2021
Accepted: Aug 31, 2021
Published online: Oct 27, 2021
Published in print: Jan 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Mar 27, 2022
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