A novel simulation technique for Gossamer space structures

Research Project

Project/Area Number	17K18941
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Research Field	Aerospace engineering, Naval and maritime engineering, and related fields
Research Institution	Tokai University
Principal Investigator	Nakashino Kyoichi 東海大学, 工学部, 准教授 (60408028)
Project Period (FY)	2017-06-30 – 2021-03-31
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2020)
Budget Amount *help	¥6,370,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,470,000) Fiscal Year 2019: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000) Fiscal Year 2018: ¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥600,000) Fiscal Year 2017: ¥3,120,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥720,000)
Keywords	有限要素法 / アイソジオメトリック解析 / Gossamer宇宙構造物 / 膜構造物 / Isogeometric解析 / 張力場理論 / 薄肉シェル / 宇宙膜面構造物 / 膜構造 / 膜面のしわ / 座屈 / 分岐
Outline of Final Research Achievements	Space structures that utilize large flexible membranes are called Gossamer space structures. In recent years, Gossamer space structures have been intensively studied by research institutions including NASA, JAXA and ESA. Flexible membranes used in Gossamer space structures have unique mechanical responses such as wrinkles and creases, and characteristics of which should be reasonably evaluated in numerical structural analysis. In place of standard numerical structural method, i.e., finite element method, we applied isogeometric analysis (IGA) to numerical structural analysis of flexible membranes, and evaluated performance of IGA as a tool for numerical simulations for Gossamer space structures.
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	Gossamer宇宙構造物に限らず，数値構造解析には従来から有限要素法と呼ばれる手法が用いられており，デファクトスタンダードとなっている．一方，Gossamer宇宙構造物に使用されている柔軟膜面には「しわ」や「深い折り目」の発生といった特有の力学応答があり，有限要素法を用いた場合，解析が困難となることも少なくない．本研究は，有限要素法に代わり近年注目を集めているアイソジオメトリック解析を，柔軟膜面の数値構造解析に適用したものである．本研究を通じて，柔軟膜構造物に対するアイソジオメトリック解析の解析性能が一部明らかとなり，将来の解析技術として有望であることが確認された．