Comparison of various thin-walled composite beam models for thermally induced vibrations of boom

A sufficiently accurate, yet computationally efficient prediction of thermomechanical behavior is essential for the structural design of spacecraft. This paper presents a novel modeling approach for thermally induced vibrations of thin-walled composite tubes in spacecraft, in which the generalized beam theory is employed, and meanwhile, the non-conventional shear and extension modes are introduced into it. Furthermore, a cross-sectional temperature model in terms of harmonic functions is developed to provide more accurate temperature field, which is performed by taking into account the strong couplings between average and perturbation temperatures and between perturbation temperatures. Combining the beam model and the temperature model, a thermal-structural finite element formulation for composite boom in space environment is established. By comparison to the finite shell element, the accuracy and characteristic feature of these new models are illustrated. The results show that the additional deformation modes may play a significant role in thermal-structural analysis of thin-walled composite beams.