Folding Analysis Of Elastic Memory Composite Thin Sheet

Inflatable space structures can be folded tightly on the ground and later deployed to the original shape with high strength and stiffness on orbit. The presence of damage in the folding process impacts adverse effect to the structural performance, it is necessary to perform the folding analysis of material used in Inflatable development space structures.Elastic memory composite (EMC) is a class of polymeric composites which based on shape memory polymers and reinforced by fiber, are ideal materials for deployable space structure due to their shape memory characteristics. This paper explores the mechanical property associated with the folding of Elastic memory composite thin sheet.The fiber microbuckling of the compression fiber-reinforced composites was analyzed firstly, then the analytical mode of the folding of EMC laminates was established and studyed base on the energy theory. The characteristics of fiber microbuckling and move of neutral-strain surface are obtained by using this analytical mode. The limits to which the folding can be achieved is assessed, the evolution mechanisms of this folding performance vary with matrix modulus and fiber volume fraction are obtained in the end.The folding experiment of EMC thin sheets was carried out to prove the accuracy of theoretical analysis, and experimental results show that the presented method is correct and effective. Additionally, shape memory performance affected by folding was analyzed through experimental test, which shows that the shape fixed rate of the EMC thin sheet decreased significantly, but shape recovered rate was not affected.