TY - JOUR
T1 - Fluid-structure interaction in inflatable membrane structures
T2 - A featured study of mechanical behavior
AU - Liu, Ping
AU - Li, Wen-Rui
AU - Boateng, Michael Osei
AU - Ngamkhanong, Chayut
AU - Heng, Junlin
PY - 2024/8
Y1 - 2024/8
N2 - This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) effects on the behavior of inflatable membrane structures under wind loads, aiming to enhance the understanding of the structural performance. We adopted a mixed-methods approach, incorporating a numerical simulation based on the RNG k-ε turbulence model. The work focused on a semi-cylindrical air-supported membrane structure examining the effects of varying wind directions, speeds, and internal pressures. Specifically, we investigated the displacement and stress on the inflatable membrane structure under wind velocities of 12, 15, and 18 m/s, taking into account the internal air pressure. Consequently, we determined the influence coefficients for displacement and stress, representing the ratio of FSI effects to those in a static case. Our findings indicate that the displacement coefficient is inversely related to internal pressure, whereas the stress coefficient directly correlates with wind speed. The maximum displacement and stress under FSI conditions can be calculated by applying an influence coefficient to the static case results. The findings from this study offer a convenient and reliable method for predicting the actual structural response. This paper provides valuable insights for the design and optimization of inflatable membrane structures to withstand wind loads, a topic that has been underexplored in previous studies. Future studies should investigate additional cases to further enhance the reliability of this method.
AB - This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) effects on the behavior of inflatable membrane structures under wind loads, aiming to enhance the understanding of the structural performance. We adopted a mixed-methods approach, incorporating a numerical simulation based on the RNG k-ε turbulence model. The work focused on a semi-cylindrical air-supported membrane structure examining the effects of varying wind directions, speeds, and internal pressures. Specifically, we investigated the displacement and stress on the inflatable membrane structure under wind velocities of 12, 15, and 18 m/s, taking into account the internal air pressure. Consequently, we determined the influence coefficients for displacement and stress, representing the ratio of FSI effects to those in a static case. Our findings indicate that the displacement coefficient is inversely related to internal pressure, whereas the stress coefficient directly correlates with wind speed. The maximum displacement and stress under FSI conditions can be calculated by applying an influence coefficient to the static case results. The findings from this study offer a convenient and reliable method for predicting the actual structural response. This paper provides valuable insights for the design and optimization of inflatable membrane structures to withstand wind loads, a topic that has been underexplored in previous studies. Future studies should investigate additional cases to further enhance the reliability of this method.
U2 - 10.1016/j.istruc.2024.106826
DO - 10.1016/j.istruc.2024.106826
M3 - Article
SN - 2352-0124
VL - 66
JO - Structures
JF - Structures
M1 - 106826
ER -