Nobuhisa Katsumata

Membrane Modular Space Structure Systems and Deployment Characteristics of Their Inflatable Tube Elements

Basic study on membrane modules actuated by inflatable tubes to fit to future hierarchical membrane modular structure systems is introduced. Extended geometrical consideration on folding patterns of membrane structures is investigated considering dual property of tessellated planar surfaces, and deployment behavior of refined laboratory scale module models actuated by inflatable tubes with zigzag folding pattern and with modified zigzag folding one is presented. It is shown that some typical folding patterns for deployable membrane structures can be interpreted through geometrical basis, and that the hexagonal deployable module model with inflatable tubes with modified zigzag folding has stable deployment characteristics.

Stepwise deployment of membrane structures with rolled-up booms: Experiments and simulations

In this paper, simple deployable structures are introduced, which consist of polygonal membranes and elastic booms deployed by only releasing the rolled-up booms in stepwise manners. The membranes are folded up with modified spiral folding patterns to fit the arrangement of booms. The booms are newly-developed bi-convex tapes covered by braids. Basic mechanical test results of the booms are first presented. Deployment experiments of a small conceptual model are demonstrated for several configurations. Numerical simulations of the deployment experiments are also performed employing multi-particle approximation method for membranes and a discrete model for one-dimensional continuum for the booms. The results are compared with the experimental results and the deployment behaviors of the structures are discussed.

Deployable membrane structures with rolled-up booms and their deployment characteristics

1 Visiting Professor, Advanced Research Institute for Science and Engineering, 3-4-1 Okubo / 55S-608, Associate Fellow AIAA 2 Research Associate, Department of Modern Mechanical Engineering, 3-4-1 Okubo / 59-314 ; presently, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Materials Engineering, Muroran Institute of Technology, 27-1 Mizumoto, Muroran, Hokkaido 050-8585, Japan, Member AIAA 3 Assistant Professor, Department of Space Flight Systems, 3-1-1 Chuoh-ku Yoshinodai, Member AIAA 4 Chief Engineer, 14-10 Shimoyasuta, Maruoka-cho, Member AIAA 5 Professor and Dean, 3-4-1 Okubo, Member AIAA Deployable Membrane Structures with Rolled-up Booms and Their Deployment Characteristics

Conceptual Model Study Using Origami for Membrane Space Structures

Some attempts to get efficient membrane space structure designs using various conceptual origami models are introduced, and their basic design considerations to fit their concepts to actual space structural hardware are presented. They cover cylindrical shell elements with axially buckled patterns for inflatable tubes, and deployable flat membrane structures for light weight large aperture spacecraft including their thickness effects and their various variations driven from geometrical dual properties. Some examples of deployable concepts in nature with reference to better designs of membrane space structures are also shown, and some limitations of their origami models are discussed.© 2013 ASME

Membrane Modular Structures With Inflatable Tubes and Connective Cables for Future Space Applications

Spirally folded hexagonal membrane structures with inflatable tubes and connective cable networks are presented aiming to establish possible construction scenarios of future large space structure systems over hundreds meters scale and corresponding structures based on the hierarchical modular structure concept using deployable membrane modules. Laboratory scale hand-made conceptual models are manufactured, and their deployment experiments are carried out to show their applicability to the hierarchical modular structures systems.© 2009 ASME

Deployment behavior control using cables and bi-shape memory alloy convex tape booms

This study aims to demonstrate the synchronous and stable deployment of a newly proposed boom system that consists of cables, a rotary damper, and shape memory alloy with a memorized convex tape shape. Through a shaft, a rotary damper is connected to a reel, and cables wound around the reel are connected to the shape memory alloy boom tips. The deployed part consists of bi-shape memory alloy convex tape booms in which two shape memory alloy convex tapes are combined to form a convex lens cross section, and the outside of the bi-shape memory alloy convex tape is wrapped by a sheet-type heater and polyimide film. The boom is deployed using only the shape recovery force of the shape memory alloy. By installing cables and a rotary damper, the deployment behavior of each boom is controlled, and each boom is deployed synchronously owing to the resistance force of the damper to a leading deploy boom. Moreover, the structural stiffness control concept of the proposed shape memory alloy bi-convex tape boom is discussed considering that Young’s modulus becomes almost half in the martensitic phase.