As a large-scale flexible inflatable structure by a huge inner lifting gas volume of several hundred thousand cubic meters, the stratospheric airship's thermal characteristic of inner gas plays an important role in its structural performance. During the floating flight, the day-night variation of the combined thermal condition leads to the fluctuation of the flow field inside the airship, which will remarkably affect the pressure acted on the skin and the structural safety of the stratospheric airship. According to the multi-physics coupling mechanism mentioned above, a numerical procedure of structural safety analysis of stratospheric airships is developed and the thermal model, CFD model, finite element code and criterion of structural strength are integrated. Based on the computation models, the distributions of the deformations and stresses of the skin are calculated with the variation of day-night time. The effects of loads conditions and structural configurations on the structural safety of stratospheric airships in the floating condition are evaluated. The numerical results can be referenced for the structural design of stratospheric airships.
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