DEPLOYMENT DRIVING ANALYSIS OF DEPLOYABLE STRUCTURE CONSIDERING IMPERFECTIONS

The strain energy present in the structure due to manufacturing imperfections as initial strains are considered and the method for investigating the effects of strain energy due to manufacturing imperfections is developed. The strain energy restored in the structures produced by the initial strains is optimised to find the worst case set of imperfections. The methods proposed are validated by applying to one freedom truss structure. Then the case of a truss is considered with the worst set of imperfections for strain energy, peak force value and work input determined. The worst case set of imperfections contributes maximum strain energy in the truss with different configuration angles is found and driving force values and work input due to presence of changing strain energy through deployment are determined, the worst case set of imperfections are also found by optimisation of these quantities. The methods developed in this paper can be extended to all planar deployable truss structures.