Pressure induced stability: from pneumatic structures to Tensairity®
| Autor: | Mauro Pedretti, Rolf H. Luchsinger, Andreas Reinhard |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2004 |
| Předmět: |
Engineering
business.product_category business.industry 0206 medical engineering Biophysics Mechanical engineering Bioengineering 02 engineering and technology Structural engineering 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology 020601 biomedical engineering Stability (probability) Load bearing Airplane Close relationship Girder 0210 nano-technology business Biotechnology |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Bionic Engineering. 1:141-148 |
| ISSN: | 2543-2141 1672-6529 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/bf03399470 |
| Popis: | Structural stabilization by a pressurized fluid is very common in nature, however hardly found in technology. Car tires, hot air balloons, airships and airhouses are among the few technical exceptions, which are stabilized by a compressed medium, typically air. Restricted by simple geometries and a very limited load bearing capacity these pneumatic structures could succeed only in very specialized applications. Nevertheless, prospective concepts ag has systematically investigated pneumatic structures during the last few years. As a major result, it was demonstrated that almost any shape can be made with pneumatic structures and that astonishing structures such as the pneumatic airplane Stingray can be realized even with low air pressure. On top of that, Airlight Ltd. in close collaboration with prospective concepts ag has recently developed the fundamental new structural concept Tensairity. The synergetic combination of an inflated structure with conventional structural elements such as cables and struts yields pneumatic light-weight structures with the load bearing capacity of steel girders. Thus, complex forms and high strength open up many new opportunities for pressure induced stability in technology. An overview of these recent developments is presented and the close relationship of pneumatic structures with biology is outlined. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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