Discrete Element Analysis Of Mechanical Behaviour Of Membrane Material And Structure

The membrane structure is a novel structural form,and has drawn significant attention in various engineering fields,such as architecture,aviation and aerospace fields.These membrane structures often undergo significant non-linear effects including wrinkling and large deformation.The analysis of mechanical behaviour of membranes is vital to ensure the safety and stability of structures.This paper presents a DEM-based numerical approach,capable of modelling mechanical behaviour of membrane materials and structures.By introducing remote interactions between particles,the classic DEM approach has been extended.DEM elements are established in an open source code called YADE,to model tensile behaviour,wrinkling and dynamic response of membrane materials and structures.First,a multi-scale DEM model is established,which has taken account of meso-level yarn structures and macroscopic material mechanical properties.The responses of plain weave fabrics under biaxial and uniaxial tension are respectively predicted.Uniaxial tension tests of G-class membrane FGT-800 are conducted in three different directions.Corresponding DEM model is established,and the numerical results are compared with experimental data.Then,a DEM element which has incorporated wrinkling is established,and the effect of wrinkling on the mechanical behaviour of membranes has been studied.A static rectangular membrane subjected to shear forces is modelled.The force-displacement curves and distribution of stress are predicted,and are compared with FEM results in the literature.Finally,DEM models of large-scale membrane structures have been established,to study the dynamic deployment of solar sails.A square solar sail and a hexagonal solar sail are respectively modelled.Non-linear behaviour including wrinkling and large deformation are taken into account.The predictions are compared with experimental data and numerical results in the literature.Good correlations have been achieved.The proposed DEM model of membrane materials and structures is novel,and has good accuracy and efficiency.The proposed approach has extended the DEM approach,and has introduced a new alternative to study the mechanical behaviour of membrane structures.