Design and optimization of self-deployable damage tolerant composite structures: A review

Abstract

Composite deployable structures are becoming increasingly important for the space industry, emerging as an alternative to conventional metallic mechanical systems in space applications. In most cases, the life-cycle of these structures includes a single deployment sequence, once the spacecraft is in orbit. So long as reliability is ensured, this fact opens the possibility of using the materials past their elastic regime and, possibly, beyond the initiation of damage, increasing the efficiency and applicability of the developed designs. This review explores this possibility, surveying the design of deployable structures, as well as the state of the art on the design and damage tolerance in composites. An overview of the developments performed on the topology optimization of composite structures is included for its novelty and potential application in the design of deployable structures. Finally, the possibility of combining these topics into a single efficient design approach is discussed.