Events Calendar

AME Department Seminar

Speaker: Sergio Pellegrino, Graduate Aerospace Laboratories. California Institute of Technology. Pasadena, CA

Talk Title: Multiple Equilibria of Inflatable Structures

Abstract: The shape of inflatable structures is determined by overall energy considerations coupled with the unilateral constraints imposed by their envelope (which is unable to carry compression) and by frictional self-contact. These ingredients lead to the existence of multiple equilibrium configurations, however our everyday experience with inflatable structures leads us to assume uniqueness. We tend to associate alternative equilibrium shapes with clearly anomalous deployment. Thus, the observation of large S-clefts during test flights of NASA superpressure balloons was initially attributed to some of kind of deployment anomaly, as these counterintuitive equilibrium shapes had not been seen before and could not be explained without first understanding the shape of clefted balloons. In this talk I will review some experiments that have confirmed the initial flight test observations and I will present an analysis that captures key aspects of the evolution of clefting during deployment and leads to S-clefts that closely resemble those seen in the experiments.

Host: Prof. Udwadia

More Info: http://ae-www.usc.edu/seminars/index.shtml#upcoming

Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: April Mundy

Event Link: http://ae-www.usc.edu/seminars/index.shtml#upcoming