Volume Optimisation of Multi-stable Origami Bellows for Deployable Space Habitats

Abstract

Origami bellows are formed by folding flat sheets into closed cylindrical structures along predefined creases. As the bellows unfold, the volume of the origami structure will change significantly, offering potential for use as inflatable deployable structures. This paper presents a geometric study of the volume of multi-stable Miura-ori and Kresling bellows, focusing on their application as deployable space habitats. Such habitats would be compactly stowed during launch, before expanding once in orbit. The internal volume ratio between different deployed states is investigated across the geometric design space. As a case study, the SpaceX Falcon 9 payload fairing is chosen for the transportation of space habitats. The stowed volume and effective deployed volume of the origami space habitats are calculated to enable comparison with conventional habitat designs. Optimal designs for the deployment of Miura-ori and Kresling patterned tubular space habitats are obtained using particle swarm optimisation (PSO) techniques. Configurations with significant volume expansion can be found in both patterns, with the Miura-ori patterns achieving higher volume expansion due to their additional radial deployment. A multi-objective PSO (MOPSO) is adopted to identify trade-offs between volumetric deployment and radial expansion ratios for the Miura-ori pattern.