An improved configuration for large, thin-walled lenticular booms has been proposed to reduce their susceptibility to buckling. Lenticular booms have been used on spacecraft because they can be flattened and rolled onto drums for compact storage during transport, then deployed by unrolling them from the drums. Lenticular booms could also be useful on Earth in special applications in which there are requirements for lightweight, deployable structures that can withstand small mechanical loads.

Larger Lenticules Would Be Subdivided into smaller ones with larger curvatures to strengthen structures against buckling.
Even when large lenticular booms have very thin walls, they can be made fairly resistant to bending, but because the walls are very thin and only slightly curved, they are not highly resistant to buckling. The figure depicts some lenticular booms in traditional and proposed configurations. According to the proposal, the thin, slightly curved wall of a traditional large lenticule would be replaced by a wall comprising multiple smaller lenticules that would have greater curvatures and would therefore resist buckling more strongly.

This work was done by Donald Bickler of Caltech for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For further information, access the Technical Support Package (TSP) free on-line at www.nasatech.com/tsp  under the Mechanics category.

NPO-20815

Topics:
Logistics Materials handling Mechanical Components Mechanics Spacecraft Storage Vehicles
This Brief includes a Technical Support Package (TSP).
Document cover
Quasi-Fractal Lenticular Booms

(reference NPO-20815) is currently available for download from the TSP library.

Don't have an account?

Overview

The document discusses an innovative design for large, thin-walled lenticular booms, which are structures commonly used in spacecraft for their ability to be flattened and rolled for compact storage and then deployed easily. The work, conducted by Donald Bickler at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), aims to enhance the structural integrity of these booms by addressing their susceptibility to buckling.

Traditional lenticular booms, while effective in bending resistance due to their design, suffer from limitations in buckling resistance because of their thin walls and slight curvature. The proposed solution involves a quasi-fractal configuration, where the larger lenticular structures are subdivided into multiple smaller lenticules with greater curvatures. This design change is expected to significantly improve the booms' resistance to buckling, making them more robust under mechanical loads.

The document highlights the potential applications of these improved lenticular booms not only in space missions but also in various Earth-based scenarios where lightweight, deployable structures are required. The enhanced design could lead to advancements in fields that demand efficient and resilient structural solutions.

Illustrations in the document depict both traditional and proposed configurations of the lenticular booms, emphasizing the differences in design and the expected benefits of the new approach. The quasi-fractal design aims to leverage the geometric advantages of increased curvature to provide better performance under stress.

Overall, this technical support package serves as a report on the advancements in lenticular boom technology, showcasing the collaboration between NASA and Caltech in developing innovative solutions for aerospace engineering challenges. The document underscores the importance of ongoing research and development in creating more effective and reliable structures for future space exploration and specialized terrestrial applications.