Inflatable and rigidizable support element
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing support elements, such as those used in wind turbines and deployable aircraft wings, face challenges with weight, deployment complexity, and structural integrity due to their rigid or inflatable nature, with issues like high mass, limited deployment speed, and vulnerability to pressure loss or buckling.
Innovation Solution
The development of inflatable and rigidizable support elements using a flexible fabric component encapsulated within an acrylic adhesive, which can be rapidly deployed by inflation and subsequently rigidized using UV light, either from a combustion reaction or sunlight, to achieve structural stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If heavy and bulky towers are used to expose wind turbines to higher wind velocities, then the turbine can generate more electrical power, but the mass of the tower and installation equipment increases exponentially with height
Solution Approach 1:
The tower is divided into multiple telescoping sections that can be collapsed for transport and extended for operation. Each section contains inflatable support elements that provide structural integrity during deployment and operation, eliminating the need for a single heavy monolithic tower structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The support elements transition from a flexible, compactable state during transport to an inflated, rigidized state during operation. This parameter change allows the tower to achieve high strength-to-weight ratio when deployed, enabling greater height with reduced mass compared to traditional rigid towers.
2Volume of moving object
If mechanically hinged wings are used for easy transportation, then the wings can be folded to reduce wingspan, but each mechanical hinge can only reduce the wingspan by a maximum of 50% and each additional reduction doubles the number of hinged joints
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical hinge mechanism is completely removed and replaced with inflatable support elements that allow the wing to be collapsed into a compact configuration for transport. The wing skin itself provides the structural framework, eliminating the need for separate hinged joints.
Solution Approach 2:
The wing structure uses flexible inflatable membranes instead of rigid hinged panels. These membranes can be collapsed to a fraction of their deployed size for transport and then inflated to achieve the full wingspan configuration, providing both compactability and structural integrity without mechanical hinges.
3Weight of moving object
If inflatable fabric wings are used to solve mass problems, then the wings achieve low mass and high deployment speed, but continuous positive pressure is required to maintain structural integrity making them vulnerable to pressure loss from leaks or punctures
Solution Approach 1:
The wing structure combines flexible fabric with rigidizing compounds to create a composite material system. The fabric provides flexibility and low mass, while the rigidizing compound provides structural integrity and resistance to buckling without requiring continuous internal pressure, eliminating the vulnerability to pressure loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigidizing compound is applied in advance to the fabric structure before deployment. Once the fabric is inflated to its operational shape, the rigidizing compound sets to provide permanent structural support, allowing the wing to maintain its shape and resist buckling without requiring continuous pressurization.
4Reliability
If positively inflated wing structures are used to achieve low mass, then deployment reliability is very high, but stiffness (resistance to buckling) is reduced compared to rigid wings
Solution Approach 1:
The wing structure uses a composite of flexible fabric and rigidizing compound that combines the advantages of both materials. The fabric provides flexibility for reliable deployment and collapse, while the rigidizing compound provides buckling resistance and structural stiffness when deployed.
Solution Approach 2:
The wing structure transitions from a flexible, collapsible state for transport to a rigidized, structurally stable state for operation. This dynamic transformation allows the wing to exhibit different mechanical properties as needed: flexibility during deployment and rigidity during flight.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables the creation of lightweight, rapidly deployable, and highly stable support structures that can be used in various applications, including wind turbines and aircraft wings, with rapid rigidization times and improved resistance to buckling and pressure loss.
Implementation Method 1
the acrylic adhesive component, which can be rapidly deployed by inflation and subsequently rigidized using UV light
Implementation Method 2
configured to adopt a fully extended, inflated, and/or deployed conformation upon application of pressurized gas to the inner lumen
Implementation Method 3
UV light, either from a combustion reaction or sunlight
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides novel inflatable and rigidizable support elements, and methods of manufacture and use thereof. In particular, the present invention provides inflatable and rigidizable support elements rapidly inflated and rigidized using an acrylic adhesive and UV light generated by combustion, which find use, for example, in rapidly deploying and supporting the wing of an aerial vehicle and wind turbine towers.