SIMULATION OF THE DEPLOYMENT PROCESS OF MULTIUNIT DEPLOYABLE STRUCTURES ON A CRAY-2

Deployable structures are prefabricated space frames consisting of str aight members that can be stored in a compact, folded configuration an d can be easily deployed into a large-volume, load-bearing configurati on. A new type of deployable structure offers the further advantage of being stable and stress-free in both of these two limiting configurat ions. During the deployment process, however, geometric incompatibilit ies cause a nonlinear response and a snap-through type of behavior. Nu merical simulation of this phase is a crucial part of designing such s tructures. This article illustrates how the finite element program ADI NA and the supercomputing capabilities of the CRAY-2 were used to simu late the deployment process. This example is used to highlight the imp act of continuously developing software and hardware technology on eng ineering design.