Characterizing the mechanical properties of drop stitch inflatable structures

This study investigates the mechanical properties of drop stitch inflatable structures with specific reference to inflatable stand up paddleboards. A sample of drop stitch material was fabricated and simple beam bending tests were performed at different pressures. This data was then used to invalidate a developed model for the deflection of the sample. High standard deviations indicate that the pressure inside the tested sample was changing throughout the duration of the tests. An elastic modulus for the material was determined using the internal pressure. The results showed an elastic modulus on the order of 60 MPa. The fabrication process and results led to the conclusion that one of the main advantages of drop stitch technology is its ability to create unique shapes that are unable to be constructed with an inflatable alone. The results also showed that the beam becomes stiffer with an increase in internal pressure and that simple beam theory is invalid for characterizing drop stitch inflatable structures.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• DiGiovanna, Lia (Lia Rose)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Anette Hosoi.

• Mechanical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/83708

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/83708