Stiffness of Finitely Deformable Membranes

摘要

The proposed use of inflatable structures in aerospace applications gives rise to the need for analyzing such structures in order to obtain their static and dynamic response. Inasmuch as these structures may undergo finite strain during inflation, it is desirable to take into account the changing geometry as well as the effect of variation in elastic moduli when determining the response of such members. Herein lies the objective of this investigation, to show how these factors may be taken into account in determining the stiffness of flat membranes. Both theoretical and experimental results are presented. (Author)