Investigation of highly flexible, deployable structures : review, modelling, control, experiments and application

• Main Author: Friedman, Noémi
• Language: ENG
• Published: École normale supérieure de Cachan - ENS Cachan 2011
• Subjects: [SPI:OTHER] Engineering Sciences/Other; [SPI:OTHER] Sciences de l'ingénieur/Autre; Civil engineering; Self-deploying system
• Online Access: http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00675481; http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/67/54/81/PDF/Friedman2011.pdf

In this thesis, an extensive review on different transformable systems used in architecture and civil engineering is given. After the review, structures undergoing large displacements and instability phenomenon were highlighted. The main goal of the dissertation was to investigate the general behavior of a specific, immature self-deploying system, the antiprismatic structure proposed by Hegedus. The emphasis was mainly taken to the analysis of the packing behavior. First, a simplified planar model was identified sharing similar, highly nonlinear packing behavior. For both the 2D and the 3D structures numerical simulation of the packing was performed with different type of controls and the results were confirmed by analytical investigations. The research clarifies the mechanical behavior of the chosen system, provides tools to simulate the packing of the structure, options for control, and gives very simple approximations for main mechanical characteristics of the antiprismatic system in order to facilitate preliminary design and verification of the numerical results. The significance of snap-back behavior, occurring at the force-displacement diagram during packing was analyzed. Within the framework of the thesis a novel type of system, slightly deviating from the original one was also investigated. For the specific systems, small physical models were built and presented in this work, which led to the proposal of a novel type of expandable tube. An attempt was given to provide ideas for application of antiprismatic structures by combining the investigated system and different learnt existing systems from the architectural review.