Air-Inflated Fabric Structures
Abstract
Air-inflated fabric structures fall within the category of tensioned structures and provide unique advantages in their use over traditional structures. These advantages include light weight designs, rapid and self-erecting deployment, enhanced mobility, large deployed-to-packaged volume ratios, fail-safe collapse, and possible rigidification. Most of the research and development pursued in air-inflated structures can be traced to space, military, commercial, marine engineering and recreational applications. Examples include air ships, weather balloons, inflatable antennas and radomes, temporary shelters, pneumatic muscles and actuators, inflatable boats, temporary bridging, and energy absorbers such as automotive air bags. However, the advent of today's high performance fibers combined with continuous textile manufacturing processes has produced an emerging interest in air-inflated structures. Air-inflated structures can be designed as viable alternatives to conventional structures.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 05, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA458590
Entities
People
- Ali M. Sadegh
- Paul V. Cavallaro
Organizations
- Naval Undersea Warfare Center