A Study of the Hexakis Icosahedron Vacuum Lighter than Air Vehicle and the Effects of Air Evacuation on the Structural Integrity
Abstract
This research continued the work of Lt. Schwemmer and Lt. Snyder studying the potential use of an internal frame to manufacture a lighter than air vehicle, which utilizes an internal vacuum to produce buoyancy. In specific, this thesis researches the hexakis icosahedron under a quasi-static load at sea level pressure in order to design, model, and evaluate an air evacuation system. The hexakis icosahedron was first compared to the icosahedron to fully understand the benefits of the two systems, at which point the hexakis icosahedron was modeled in a finite element analysis software to conduct an in-depth study of the stress fields, and finally two separate finite element models were built to analyze different air evacuation methods and their effects on the structure.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 16, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1056554
Entities
People
- Anthony A. Castello
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology