Results on the Thermoelastic behavior of coupled Joint-Leg-Beam System

J.A. BURNS, E.M. CLIFF, Z. LIU AND R.D. SPIES

Rectorado de la Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, Buenos Aires

Conferencia; II International Conference on Approximation Methods for Design and Control; 2007

North Carolina State University, USA, Virginia Tech, USA, Universidad Nacional de General San Martín, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento y Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires.

Rigidizable/Inflatable (RI) materials offer the possibility of deployable large space structures (C. H. M. Jenkins (ed.), “Gossamer Spacecraft: Membraneand Inflatable Structures Technology for Space Applications”, Progress in Aeronautics and Astronautics, 191, AIAA Pubs., 2001) and so are of interest in applications where large optical or RF apertures are needed. In particular, in recent years there has been renewed interest in inflatable rigidizable truss-structures because of the efficiency they offer in packaging during boost-to-orbit. However, much research is still needed to better understand dynamic response characteristics, including inherent damping, of truss structures fabricated with these advanced material systems. One of the most important characteristics of such space systems is their response to changing thermal loads, as they move in/out of the Earth’s shadow. We study the thermoelastic behaviour of a basic truss component consisting of two RI beams connected through a joint subject to solar heating.Gossamer Spacecraft: Membraneand Inflatable Structures Technology for Space Applications”, Progress in Aeronautics and Astronautics, 191, AIAA Pubs., 2001) and so are of interest in applications where large optical or RF apertures are needed. In particular, in recent years there has been renewed interest in inflatable rigidizable truss-structures because of the efficiency they offer in packaging during boost-to-orbit. However, much research is still needed to better understand dynamic response characteristics, including inherent damping, of truss structures fabricated with these advanced material systems. One of the most important characteristics of such space systems is their response to changing thermal loads, as they move in/out of the Earth’s shadow. We study the thermoelastic behaviour of a basic truss component consisting of two RI beams connected through a joint subject to solar heating.