Edge Effects in Pressurized Membranes

Abstract

Developing membrane structures for space-based applications is an effort to reduce launch mass and stowed volume. Accurate modeling of the shape after deployment is very important to the high-precision inflatable structures for space applications. This paper presents a numerical study of the inflation of an initially plane membrane with circular boundary. The simulations were conducted using the nonlinear FEM code ABAQUS. Two types of boundary conditions are imposed. The conditions are either prescribed boundary movements during the inflation or prescribed spring constants for the springs that are attached to the rim of the membrane. Zero tensile stress is considered as the condition on the verge of forming wrinkles. When a compression zone appears, wrinkles are formed. Numerical results show that there is a limited amount of inward movement at the edge before the formation of wrinkles. The numerical results are also compared with an analytical solution.