Helium-Supported Hangar for a Small Solar-Powered Airship

by Rosemarie Wagner, Univ of Stuttgart, Germany,
Bernd Kr?plin, Univ of Stuttgart, Germany,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Spatial, Lattice and Tension Structures

Abstract:

For the IGA Expo '93 the Institute for Statics and Dynamics of Aerospace Structures, University of Stuttgart, together with Stuttgart Solar e.V. developed a solar-powered airship. For operating the airship during the IGA, a temporary hangar is required to provide safe accommodation during the days not suitable for flying and during the night. The hangar-structure is closely connected to the ideas and the concepts of the airship. Particular technical challenges are the development of an extreme light-weight and efficient/durable construction of load bearing elements stabilized by internal pressure, and the use of newly developed materials, provided by manufacturers, with a high gas density and tension strength. The novelty of this construction is the use of pneumatically supported elements, filled with helium to be self-supporting. The loadbearing elements are pretensioned membrane constructions stabilized by internal pressure with the least possible dead load. The following describes the construction and the loadbearing behaviour of this helium-supported hall.

Subject Headings: Construction materials | Load bearing capacity | Strength of materials | Solar power | Membranes | Tension members | Tensile strength

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