Deformation and Failure Mechanics of Inflated Drop Stitch Fabric Panels
Abstract
ABSTRACT: Inflated drop stitch panels offer the potential for lightweight, portable and rapidly deployable structural components for many Navy applications. Drop stitch panels are constructed from pairs of woven fabric skins which, through specialized weaving processes, are tied together by drop stitches. After coating the skins with a polymer coating, the panels are inflated to provide remarkable stiffness and load carrying capacity. Successful implementation in Navy applications, however, requires the development and validation of a material database and design methodologies for these novel structures. Requested equipment includes a 50 kN wide frame electro-mechanical load frame, a planar biaxial test system, a 3D digital image correlation system configured for monitoring the bending deformation of panel structures and ancillaryequipment for deformation measurement and support frame construction.The experimental facilities requested in this proposal form the basis for future collaborative research between the University of Rhode Island, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWCNewport) and Navatek Ltd. These facilities will allow for parallel investigations that include experimental characterization of constituent materials, experimental identification of critical deformation and failure mechanisms of inflated panels, numerical finite element simulations ofbending of inflated panels, characterization and numerical simulation of floating inflatable structures, development and validation of analytical models and development of design methodologies for drop stitch inflated panels. In addition, these facilities will be use to strengthen URI s educational mission and will be available for use in undergraduate capstone design projects and undergraduate and graduate research investigations. In particular, a recent" ONR STEM award has led to the establishment of the ""Southeast New England Naval STEMCoalitio,"" in which undergraduate students par"ticipate in Navy related activities and projects.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jun 13, 2019
- Source ID
- N000141912417
Entities
People
- David Taggart
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Rhode Island