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AIAA-2006-1695
The overall objective of this ongoing study is to develop light-curing resins and lighting
systems to rigidize an inflatable wing for terrestrial and space applications. Rigidization of
inflatable wings provides several potential advantages over current continuous pressure
inflation/rigidization, including reducing the vulnerability to punctures, increasing stiffness
and load-carrying capability, allowing a higher aspect ratio for high altitude efficiency and
longer missions, and reducing weight by eliminating the make up pressurization supply. The
present status of wing fabrication and demonstration using the concepts developed in this
program is discussed.
I.
Introduction
he overall objective of this ongoing study is to develop light-curing resins and lighting systems to rigidize an
inflatable wing for terrestrial and space applications. As the unmanned exploration of Mars and Venus becomes
more of a focus area at NASA, inflatable rigidizable wings will become an enabling technology. The current
inflatable, deployable wings rely on the continuous presence of an inflation gas to maintain their shape (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Top and front views of inflatable wing (photo courtesy ILC Dover)
Rigidization of inflatable wings provides several potential advantages, including reducing the vulnerability to
punctures, increasing stiffness and load-carrying capability, allowing a higher aspect ratio for high altitude
efficiency and longer missions, and reducing weight by eliminating the make up pressurization supply.
Polymer Projects Manager, 11208 Cochiti SE, Albuquerque, NM 87123, Professional Member
President, 9621 Camino del Sol NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111, Professional Member
now with Temeku Technologies, Director Structural & Material Sciences Division, 1344 Brookside Blvd., Grants
Pass, OR 97526, Professional Member
Copyright 2006 by Adherent Technologies, Inc., Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission
AIAA-2006-1695
This paper will address several areas of inflatable rigidizable wing development including composite structural
analyses, manufacturing development, and resin and light source identification and development.
II.
For this work, a NACA 8315 wing profile was selected as a target. Figure 2 shows the comparison between the
conceptual airfoil design and the NACA 8315.
AIAA-2006-1695
layer of composite. A number of combinations were evaluated using the iterative solution method between the finite
element analysis (FEA) loads model and the composite sizing models. One area of the wing near the trailing
edge was particularly susceptible to tearing at low strain levels. The patterning was optimized to eliminate this strain
condition. The optimization process caused a relocation the highest strain to the root region where the composite
laminate could dissipate the strain energy more effectively under the 4-g load.
The models were later refined to fix the number of plies for all of the internal spars and the end cap at 2 plies, not
1 ply, for the NACA 8315 wing. This is a consideration of the manufacturing methods to be used for this particular
wing. Again, the results show that a pattern of 2 to 4 layers (plies) of EG/ATI-ROC E37X1 contained within the
two layers of FEP film will be required to meet the performance requirements of the composite for the shape of the
NACA 8315 wing. Figure 3 shows the failure envelope for the 2 ply material configuration.
An additional refinement was made based on experimental mechanical properties for the epoxy-based ATIROC-E37X1 and the urethane acrylate based ATI-ROC-U945X20 resins from ATI. The material databases for the
ply laminates for the UV wing models were updated with new micromechanics and laminate properties based on the
experimental values for the resins. The 4-g static load analyses were rerun for each of the five candidate laminate
designs for the E37X1- and U945X20-based laminates. The results show that the laminate configuration given to
ILC remains the lightest weight design. The lightest weight laminate configuration is the same for both resins. The
results for the urethane acrylate resin
compared to the epoxy-based resin
show that the urethane is more
compliant and has greater strain
capability.
Frequency and modal
frequency response for the lightest
weight design for each resin type are
included in this report. Overall, the
U945X20
laminate
had
lower
frequency response and lower, but all
positive, margins of safety (MOS) for
first ply failure compared to those for
E37X1 laminates for equivalent forces
Figure 4. FEA model of NACA 8315 wing showing opening for
calculated on the half-wing section
inflation
FEA models.
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American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Copyright 2006 by Adherent Technologies, Inc., Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission
AIAA-2006-1695
III.
Manufacturing Development
Various analyses, discussed previously1, were conducted to identify materials considerations to be addressed.
These materials considerations are outlined in Table I.
Recent activities in manufacturing development have focused on the following issues:
Wing skinning
Trailing edge development
Root attachment
Wing fabrication
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Copyright 2006 by Adherent Technologies, Inc., Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission
AIAA-2006-1695
Table I. Design Elements of the Wing - Wing Skin and Trailing Edge Development
Material(s)
Design Characteristics
Issues
Urethane Foam
Compression set
characteristic after longterm packing
Composite Reinforcement
THV flouropolymer
Bladder
Restraint
Fabric
Internal
Curing
Illumination distribution
and full exposure of all
corners of the wing
Root
Attachment
A. Wing Skinning
Previously, there were issues involving the attachment of a skin to a wing with an attached reinforced foam
trailing edge. The problems were mostly concerned with the interaction between the wing skin and the trailing edge.
The wing skin is undersized both in span and run length to keep it tensioned and taut against the airfoil contour.
Since shifting of the wing skin is not uniform along the span and changes depending on how the wing is packed, the
trailing edge is morphed according to the
regional skin tensions (Figure 5).
The trailing edge misalignment is the result
of the wing skins ability to slide around the
leading edge of the wing while still keeping a
firm grip on the pointed end of the trailing
edge.
This causes the forces from the
tensioned wing skin to shift onto the trailing
edge. To solve this problem, the wing skins
Figure 5. Skinned wing deployed after packing
shifting was isolated to the regions forward of
the trailing edge where its effect has no impact
on the wing restraint. Doing this involved
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Copyright 2006 by Adherent Technologies, Inc., Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission
AIAA-2006-1695
attaching the wing skin to one of the last restraint cells and bonding the wing skin to the trailing edge where it came
in contact with the foam. This added process greatly improves the consistency of the trailing edge alignment.
B. Trailing Edge Development
Further improvements are possible for the trailing
edge, as the foam used in the example above has a
tendency to develop a slight compression set when
packed for a period of time. Bonding with films to be
used in construction is also an issue. To offset this
problem as well as to further facilitate light-curing of
the composite restraint, an alternative trailing edge
design has been created. The new design consists of
composite/polymer cards placed along the length of
the trailing edge (Figure 6). The dimensions and
spacing of each card correspond to the folding
dimensions of the wing. Held in place with fabric, the
cards offer a more consistent trailing edge, because
their alignment is dependent only on that of the wing
Figure 6. Folding card trailing edge profile.
itself.
Methods for securing the wing skin to the wing
restraint are being explored. An attractive option now
is to attach the trailing edge to the wing restraint by sewing it on at the proper time in the manufacturing process and
at the same time, securing the wing skin, which will cover the wing forward of the trailing edge, with the same
stitching.
C. Wing Root Attachment
The root attachment involves a composite
flange that helps to support the high strain
loadings at that junction. This localized strain
area is complicated by the difficulties
experienced in past programs in getting this
particular area of the composite wing to cure.
Figure 7 details the cross section of the root
junction.
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Copyright 2006 by Adherent Technologies, Inc., Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission
AIAA-2006-1695
IV.
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Copyright 2006 by Adherent Technologies, Inc., Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission
AIAA-2006-1695
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American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Copyright 2006 by Adherent Technologies, Inc., Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission
AIAA-2006-1695
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Mark Gallegos, Clayton Allred, and Frank Medrano for their efforts in curing
composites using the flexible LED blanket. The contributions of Dan Gleeson and Anshu Dixit of ILC Dover LP
are also greatly appreciated.
This work was funded through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program of NASA Dryden
Flight Research Center under Contract No. NND04AA05C. The support of our technical monitor, Dr. Joe Pahle, is
greatly appreciated.
References
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American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Copyright 2006 by Adherent Technologies, Inc., Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission