Structural response of hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator braided tube components and elements
Published: 2015
Publication Name: Aerospace Research Central
Publication URL: https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/6.2015-2165
Abstract:
Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerators are currently of interest to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration because they are potentially an enabling technology for new opportunities in space exploration. Many full-scale structural experiments have been performed in recent years on components or complete test articles, but they have all been relatively complex. The objective of this study was to conduct relatively simple independent experiments on individual components of structural elements. Following this, bending tests were performed on beam test articles that are straight, but otherwise identical in material composition and construction to the torus articles that have been involved in experiments performed by others. Multiple photogrammetry systems were used to help better understand the behavior of these structures as they were subjected to bending moments large enough to cause loss of reinforcing cord pretension, or wrinkling, which results in greatly reduced global structural stiffness. The development of constitutive models, based on independent component-level testing to serve as input to finite-element models, is described. Finite-element models of the bam bending tests using the previously mentioned constitutive models are described. The restonse of the beams in the finite-element models is compared to the experimentally measured response. The model-predicted response was found to agree quite well with the measured response.