Simulation and analysis of butterfly-inspired eclosion deployable structure

Deployable structures, as an important kind of structure, have been widely used in a variety of satellite antennas and space reflectors. The research of deployable structures usually faces a series of theoretical and technical challenges because the size and mass are not only the limitations of deployable structure but also the key issues in the design process. Nevertheless, the appearance of bionic provides a new concept to develop the deployable structures. Inspired by the eclosion and development of butterfly wings, a bionic inflatable deployment structure has been presented in this paper. The whole system of emulate model is established and has a simulation analyzed with the help of dynamic analysis software. This simulation is aimed at emulating the deploying process, and calculating the stress distribution of the structure. Then some relative curve fitting is conducted on the deploying trajectory. A prototype has been fabricated and tested to be able to deploy smoothly and steadily