Importance of Enclosed Gas for Modal Analysis of Space Inflatable Structure

Abstract

The stress distribution and modal characteristics of a space inflatable torus is investigated using the nonlinear finite element method. This paper focused on the effect of enclosed air on the modal analysis of the torus, including the effect of follower pressure load and the effect of the interaction between the enclosed air and the torus structure. Research shows that follower pressure stiffness significantly reduces the natural frequencies and changes mode shapes order. The fluid-structure interaction obviously reduces the natural frequencies, and the in-plane translation mode is observed. Follower pressure stiffness has no effect on the in-plane translation mode. Fluid-structure interaction decreases the natural frequencies of the modal considering the follower load effect, but it does not change mode shapes order. The effect of enclosed gas seriously reduces the natural frequencies, changes mode shapes order, and produces the in-plane translation mode.