Deployable Pipe-Z
This chapter presents a concept of deployable Pipe-Z (dPZ). dPZ is a modular structural system taking advantage of the robustness of rigid-panel mechanisms. It supports creation of free-form connectors which are reconfigurable and deployable. The folding
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Deployable Pipe-Z
Abstract This chapter presents a concept of deployable Pipe-Z (dPZ). dPZ is a modular structural system taking advantage of the robustness of rigid-panel mechanisms. It supports creation of free-form connectors which are reconfigurable and deployable. The folding mechanisms of: the single foldable Pipe-Z module (fPZM), and entire dPZ are explained. Folding mechanism of dPZ is illustrated with asynchronous folding of a relatively complex spatial Unknot. A low-fidelity prototype of a six-module octagonal dPZ is presented; several folding schemes including concentric toric rings are demonstrated. “Outside-in” and “inside-out” deployment schemes are demonstrated and discussed in the context of packing. Low-fidelity prototype is presented. Keywords Pipe-Z · Deployable · Foldable · Rigid-plate · Outside-in · Inside-out · Low-fidelity prototyping
5.1 Introduction Deployable structures offer several advantages for building, not only for constructions on Earth, but especially for stations and habitats in space and undersea. According to [1]: “Intelligent constructive and packaging concepts allow for maximum load capacity and minimization of material use coupled with an increase in operational and habitable volume”. The majority of concepts for such habitats in outer space struggle to accommodate rectangular floor plans, which are the most common for humans, into cylindrical or spherical launch vehicle. E.g. cylindrical pipes have been proposed for Mars habitat modules in [2]. Another popular concept are the inflatable structures. They offer many advantages over conventional structures for space applications [3]. Already in 1961, a tire manufacturer Goodyear has built a prototype for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of an inflatable space station, in a form of a 9-meter in diameter ring. It was intended to host two people, but was never flown [4]. Thirty years later, this concept was further developed. “TransHab” was the subsequent project, intended to replace for the International Space Station (ISS) crew habitation © The Author(s) 2017 M. Zawidzki, Discrete Optimization in Architecture, SpringerBriefs in Architectural Design and Technology, DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-1109-2_5
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5 Deployable Pipe-Z
module. It has also not been completed. In 2012 NASA awarded Bigelow Aerospace a contract to construct the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module as a commercial space station. Further advances in materials engineering of inflatable technologies (e.g. implemented in space suits), led to increased interest in inflatable flexible composite structures [3]. For a review of inflatable technologies for space applications with emphasis on free-form see [5]. Presented here system based on Pipe-Z takes advantage of the robustness of rigid-panel mechanism and allows to create free-form tubular forms which are also reconfigurable and deployable. PZs can be disassembled for stowage and transportation by separating the Pipe-Z modules (PZMs). The “bounding solid” of a PZ can be reduced by reconfiguring
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