Simulations on SAM deployment progressing

For the last couple of weeks, simulations on the deployment behaviour of the inflating spheres from the StrathSat-R REXUS cube satellites were carried out. LS-DYNA with an academic license of the University of Strathclyde was used for the deployment simulation. Two rows of 18 spheres were modelled with a constrained rigid cube satellite in the centre. To simulate the deployment from the cube, the flat spheres (two sheets of polymer joined together around their circumference) where pressed into the cube satellite first. After the spheres were stored, the residual air inflation deploys the entire structure. This “chaotic” storage followed by the residual air inflation can be seen in the attached clip. Current research is now focused on modelling different folding pattern in LS-DYNA and starting a code to program the shape change of the membrane.

BBC doing a piece on Space Power Satellites at Strathclyde

Today, reporters from the BBC were at the University of Strathclyde to do a piece on Space Based Solar Power. The researchers's at Strathclyde are involved in the current NIAC (NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts) study on Space Power Satellites (SPS) called SPS-ALPHA with John C. Mankins from Artemis Innovation as a project lead. Space Based Solar Power is the promising concept of collecting the sun’s energy in space and then transmitting it via laser or microwaves to the ground. With this concept the energy can be harvested more efficiently without losing too much of the sun’s energy through the Earth’s atmosphere. These Space Power Satellites (SPS) are huge structures with diameters in the order of hundreds of meters. Large deployable structures become necessary to realise such an ambitious project. The smart structure of the Self-inflating Adaptive Membrane can be used as a reflector or concentrator to focus the Sun’s energy on the solar cells before transmitting it via microwaves or lasers to the ground. Further applications can be seen as all kinds of substructures for the SPS concept due to SAM’s adaptability. The piece will be aired probably on Monday (14^th of May 2012) evening on BBC. 

Micropumps are working under ambient conditions

The breadboard electronics for the micropumps (Bartels Mikrotechnik GmbH) was build last week and a first test was carried out at ambient conditions with water to prove the functionality of the microcontroller and the pumps. The tests were fully successful. Currently the team is in preparation for testing the capabilities of the pumps in vacuum conditions. This test will be carried out next week at the physics lab here at Strathclyde. Two of SAM’s inflatable sphere will be connected by a micropump to investigate the volume changing capabilities which will enable SAM’s adaptability.

Manufacturing progressing

The first prototype full structure of SAM for the REXUS 13/14 sounding rocket mission was manufactured last week by Strathclyde student Adnan Mahmood. The full structure has 18 circular elements in two rows. During the last couple of week Adnan improved the manufacturing technique by using a heated ring to heat seal the spheres made out of alluminized PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) commonly found in heat and rescue blankets. The picture to the right shows the vacuum inflation of two spheres connected in the middle point (connection points between the rows).

13th Gossamer Structures Systems Forum

Last Tuesday, SAM got presented at the Inflatable Structures Session of the 13th Gossamer Structures System Forum at the Waikiki Sheraton in Hawaii. The paper had the ID AIAA-2012-1517 and the title "Design and Development of a Deployable Self-inflating Adaptive Membrane. The presentation was well received by the roughly 80 people in the audience. SAM got useful comments and feedback to improve SAM's design further.

Abstract for 63rd International Astronautical Congress 2012 in Naples have been accepted

The abstracts for three papers focusing on the self-inflating adaptive membrane concept have been accepted for the 63rd International Astronautical Congress from the 1st until the 5th of October 2012 in Naples, Italy. The first paper explains the idea, design and principle behind the concept with the title "Bio-inspired programmable matter for space applications" which will be presented in C2.5 (C2 Materials and Structure Symposium, Session 5: Smart Materials and Adaptive Structures). The second paper deals with an application of the membrane as a method of mitigating space debris. The paper’s title is “Space debris removal using a self-inflating adaptive membrane” which is going to be presented in A6.5 (A6 Space Debris Symposium, Session 5: Space Debris Removal Issues). The last paper was accepted for the student team competition and it will give an overview of the experiment StrathSat-R (including SAM) which will be launched on board REXUS 13/14 in March 2013. The paper has the title “StrathSat-R: Deploying inflatable CubeSat structures in micro gravity” and will be presented in the E2.3 (E2 42nd Student Conference, Session 3: Student Team Competition).

Paper on SAM submitted for AIAA's 53rd Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference (SDM)

Last night, the paper on SAM with the title "Design and Development of a Self-inflating Adaptive Membrane" was submitted to the 53rd Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference (SDM). The conference will take place in Honolulu, Hawaii from the 23^rd till 26^th of April 2012. SAM’s paper outlines the idea behind the bio-inspired membrane, an explanation of the residual air inflation technique, an overview over manufacturing techniques and a comparison of different folding pattern to decrease SAM’s storage volume. The paper concludes with a summary of SAM’s technology demonstrator mission on-board REXUS13/14. Thomas Sinn will participate in the conference and will present the paper at the 13th AIAA Gossamer Systems Forum which is part of the 53rd Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference (SDM). Exact date and time of the presentation still needs to be confirmed.