Evaluation of Shear Compliant Borders for Wrinkle Reduction in Thin Film Membrane Structures

Many ultra-lightweight (Gossamer) space structure designs under consideration for future missions (e.g. solar sails, sun shields, reflectors) are comprised of thin film, flat membrane panels. Such structures must be maintained in a state of biaxial tension in order to suppress wrinkle formation. One such support method under consideration involves the incorporation of integrated, shear compliant borders along the top and bottom edges of the membrane. In this paper, finite element modeling is used to predict the effectiveness of various shear-compliant support geometries. The wrinkle configurations predicted (e.g. amplitude, angle) compare favorably with experimental surface measurements, made using photogrammetry, of membranes incorporating shear compliant borders.