Overview

Christopher H. M. Jenkins ^[*]
Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana
N. M. Awlad Hossain ^{[ ]}
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, South Dakota
Kyeongsik Woo ^{[ ]}
Chungbuk National University, Chungbuk, Korea
Hirotaka Igawa ^{[ ]}
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tokyo, Japan
and
John T. Wang ^[**] , David W. Sleight ^[**] and Alexander Tessler ^[**]
NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia

Copyright 2005 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.

I. Introduction

This chapter discusses recent advances in the modeling of membrane wrinkling. Both membrane and bending approaches are discussed, as well implicit and explicit time integration methods. The coarse and fine analyses of membrane wrinkling are examined. Specific examples related to gossamer spacecraft are provided, with particular emphasis on solar sails.

Thin membranes have been recognized with an increasing interest in the application of solar sails, large reflectors, and other space structures. Membrane structures will achieve substantial reduction in mission cost, with advancements in power, propulsion, autonomy, communication, and avionics. Certain science missions, in imaging, communication, and power, for example, will only be realized with very large membrane structures on the order of many tens of meters in length. Because of finite launch vehicle capacity, membrane structures will have to provide low mass with excellent packaging attributes.

Wrinkles and creases are very common phenomena existing in any membrane structure. In most...