A new model is proposed to accurately predict the wrinkling and collapse loads of a membrane inflated beam. In this model, the pressure effects are considered and a modified factor is introduced to obtain an accurate prediction. The former is achieved by modifying the pressure-related structural parameters based on elastic small strain considerations, and the modified factor is determined by our test data. Compared with previous models and our test data, the present model, named as shell-membrane model, can accurately predict the wrinkling and collapse loads of membrane inflated beams.
This paper extends Le van＇s work to the case of nonlinear problem and the complicated configuration. The wrinkling stress distribution and the pressure effects are also included in our analysis. Pseudo-beam method is presented based on the inflatable beam theory to model the inflatable structures as a set of inflatable beam elements with a prestressed state. In this method, the discretized nonlinear equations are given based upon the virtual work principle with a 3-node Timoshenko＇s beam model. Finite element simulation is performed by using a 3-node BEAM189 element incorporating ANSYS nonlinear program. The pressure effect is equivalent included in our method by modifying beam element cross-section parameters related to pressure. A benchmark example, the bending case of an inflatable cantilever beam, is performed to verify the accuracy of our proposed method. The comparisons reveal that the numerical results obtained with our method are close to open published analytical and membrane finite element results. The method is then used to evaluate the whole buckling and the loadcarrying characteristics of an inflatable support frame subjected to a compression force. The wrinkling stress and region characteristics are also shown in the end. This method gives better convergence characteristics, and requires much less computation time. It is very effective to deal with the whole load-carrying ability analytical problems for large scale inflatable structures with complex configuration.
Changguo Wang Huifeng Tan Xingwen Du Center for Composite Materials,Harbin Institute of Technology, 150001 Harbin, China
