Experimental characterisation of tape spring nonlinear compliant mechanisms

Tape springs are compliant mechanisms used as alternative to kinematic joints, for example, in deployable space structures. To reach a detailed understanding of their highly nonlinear behaviour, involving buckling, the formation of folds, nonlinear vibrations and hysteresis, an experimental set-up is designed. Dynamic and quasi-static tests are performed, as well as small amplitude vibration tests and large amplitude deployments in order to collect data in a broad variety of cases. The acquisition equipment consists of a 3D motion analysis system which triangulates the position of active markers and a force plate. The reproducibility of the acquisitions is assessed and the parameters affecting the measurements are identified. In the end, a finite element model is developed and correlated with the experimental results.