Biomimetic folding of triangular deployable membranes

Abstract

Abstract Deployable membranes are being increasingly applied in numerous space projects owing to their light weight, small stowage volume and capacity for use at large scales. The geometric design of biomimetic folding is studied to design crease patterns for triangular deployable membranes applied in space. Various crease designs for triangular membranes based on leaf-in, leaf-out and orthogonal patterns are put forward, especially patterns composed of triangular and hexagonal units. In order to analyse the membrane folding method based on biomimetic folding, a set of evaluation indices, including linear dimension ratio, deployment ratio, crease length and junction number, are established. The indices for various membrane folding patterns are calculated according to the crease distributions and geometric relations. Furthermore, a parametric study of crease parameters is performed to determine how the parameters affect folding behaviour and deployment efficiency. These indices can provide an indication to help with the selection of crease patterns and folding parameters for triangular deployable membranes according to the required performance and space mission requirements.