Prediction method for mechanical properties of inflatable wing and its buckling failure mechanism

Abstract

With the advancement of aerospace technology, inflatable wings (renowned for their lightweight design and rapid deployment capabilities) have emerged as a promising solution for unmanned aerial vehicle rapid-response missions and extreme lightweight requirements. However, their reliability and safety under extreme conditions or sudden loads remain significant challenges, particularly due to limited research on buckling failure mechanisms. This study systematically investigates the load-bearing characteristics and failure evolution patterns of inflatable wings under internal pressure regulation through combined experimental and simulation approaches. Utilizing a self-developed lever-type loading platform, full-scale static loading experiments were conducted on inflatable wings under 10–35 kPa internal pressures, quantitatively revealing a linear correlation between internal pressure and structural stability. Experimental results demonstrate that wing bending stiffness and critical buckling loads increase linearly with inflation pressure. An explicit dynamic model based on membrane elements was proposed, achieving precise predictions of buckling loads (3.0 % error) and bending stiffness (6.89 % error). Analysis indicates that compressive stress on the upper surface skin induces wrinkling waves, while shear strain in the ribs exacerbates stress redistribution, leading to cascading failure from localized to global instability through progressive collapse. The established quantitative relationship model among internal pressure, stiffness, and failure loads provides theoretical support for structural design optimization and dynamic pressure regulation strategies for inflatable wings.