Simulation analysis of vibration characteristics of wrinkled membrane space structure

Flexible membrane space structures have received the widest attention due to their small packaging volume and low launching cost, but wrinkles as the common deformation state, are the main failure mode of such structures. They also affect the vibration characteristics which are the main factor of the structural analysis and design. So a better understanding of the vibration characteristics of the wrinkled membrane structure is essential and desirable. In this paper, a modal analysis, incorporating the wrinkling analysis, is presented to model the vibration characteristics of the wrinkled square membrane structure subjected to the asymmetric tension. The effects of the wrinkles on the vibration characteristics of the wrinkled membrane structures are considered in detail. Some important conclusions are also summarized in detail at last. The results of this paper are very important when used in the structural design and optimization of the membrane space structure.