The modal analysis and modal behavior investigations on the wrinkled membrane inflated beam

Inflated beams are major supported components of membrane aerospace spacecrafts. In such structures, the wrinkles are easy to be formed and have great influences on the vibration behaviors. A better understanding of the vibration behaviors of the wrinkled membrane inflated beam is thus very essential and desirable. In this paper, the Update Nodal Coordinates combined with Direct Perturbed-Force techniques are presented to simulate the vibration of a wrinkled membrane inflated beam. The effects of the wrinkles on the structural vibration behaviors are deeply analyzed and the parametric study is performed in detail finally. Results reveal that the wrinkling stress level and effective mass in the wrinkled region are the major factors to change the frequency and modes.

► We perform vibration simulation on a wrinkled inflated cantilever beam.
► We use Direct Perturbed-Force technique to simulate the wrinkles.
► The wrinkles are considered by using Update Nodal Coordinates (UNC) technology.
► We perform parametric studies on effects of the wrinkles on the vibration.
► UNC technology is a desired method to obtain vibration of wrinkled inflated beam.