Abstract

The Inflatable Modules (IMOD) are the best way to create big living space without bulky structures that implies transportation difficulties. The main structural part is the inflating module: It is a multi-layers anisotropic material built up by extremely thin layers interconnected in a small number of points.
The main reason of the LS-DYNA choice is related to the SW performances in treating highly non linear problems and in the advanced contact models and contact management; these requirements are mandatory for the analysis of the interactions between the thin layers sequence.
The paper refers to the modules inflating simulation; the aim is evaluate the structure integrity at the end of the inflating operation.
Moreover, the folding simulation is performed in order to define the best folding strategy where the final objective is to minimize the module dimension during transportation.