Modal analysis and identification of deployable membrane structures

The development of ultra-lightweight sails presents many challenges due to their large size and extreme flexibility. One of their key technologies is the design of deployable booms, in particular how to deploy and support the membrane structure. In this paper, a deployable sail with four triangular membranes supported by inflated booms enhanced by four self-supporting thin shells inside and Velcro outside is presented. The feasibility of the folding and unfolding processes is demonstrated, and their modal properties investigated. Firstly, the pressure variation and acceleration time history of a single boom during unfolding process were obtained by dynamic testing system, a finite element model of boom was proposed and structural natural frequencies by simulation were validated by experimental testing. Further, an 8.0 × 8.0 m² prototype was assembled and stowed in a Φ700 mm by 300 mm container, and the structure was fully deployed with gas control. A finite element model of a combination of inflatable booms and triangular membranes was used to predict the structural overall bending modes. The effect of membrane wrinkling was simulated and controlled to improve membrane precision. This work validated the concept of deployable membrane structural design. The proposed finite element models were verified by experimental testing to be useful for membrane structure analysis.