Research
Wrinkle control of Kapton membranes for space applications
Kapton polyamide membranes have been used very commonly in recent ultra-light space structures known as gossamer or inflatable structures. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) antenna is an example of an inflatable structure for which the Kapton membrane serves as the antenna surface. During self-shadowing of the structure, the membrane is subjected to wrinkle problems due to thermal variations in space. This project involves modeling the wrinkle phenomena and flatness control of the Kapton membrane using Macro-Fiber Composite (MFC) actuators.
Kapton membrane wrinkle measurement test setup
Kapton membrane covered with chuck powder for photogrammetry