Stress Concentration and Material Failure During Coiling of Ultra-Thin TRAC Booms

Abstract

Ultra-thin TRAC booms are a promising technology for large deployable structures for space applications. A manufacturing process producing composites TRAC booms with flange thickness as low as 53 μm is proposed. Coiling behavior around hub with radii ranging from 19.1 mm to 31.8 mm is studied both experimentally and through finite element simulations. Due to the thinness of the TRAC boom, a buckle appears in the inner flange, in the transition region from the fully deployed to the coiled configurations. Material failure is observed at this location, and this correlates well with stresses computed in simulation, coupled with the fiber microbuckling failure criterion. Reducing the thickness, either by changing the laminate or by improving the manufacturing process, is shown to reduce stresses, allowing coiling around smaller hubs without material failure.

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