Simulation of deployment dynamics of inflatable structures

Analytical simulation of the inflation process of inflatable structures is key to assessing their robust deployment in a space environment. Although t he problem seems to be intractable, a simplified finite volume inflation mo del is developed, which allows discretized description of the gas flow, pre ssure variation, and resulting nonlinear large deformation throughout domai ns of the inflatable structure. Simulation results are presented along with convergence studies, which provide insight into the deployment of three di fferent packaging/deployment schemes: Z-unfolding, rollout, and extrusion o f a cylindrical tube. The proposed inflation model is not limited to prisma tic one-dimensional components and can be applied to inflatable shapes with complex configurations. As a validation of the numerical simulation, a lab oratory experiment was conducted on the Z-folded configuration. Generally, good agreement in the overall inflation dynamics is observed between the an alysis and experiment.