TY - GEN
T1 - Materials and textile architecture analyses for mechanical counter-pressure space suits using active materials
AU - Holschuh, Bradley
AU - Obropta, Edward
AU - Buechley, Leah
AU - Newman, Dava
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Mechanical counter-pressure (MCP) space suits have the potential to improve the mobility of astronauts as they conduct planetary exploration activities. MCP suits differ from traditional gas-pressurized space suits by applying surface pressure to the wearer using tight-fitting materials rather than pressurized gas, and represent a fundamental change in space suit design. However, the underlying technologies required to provide uniform compression in a MCP garment at sufficient pressures for space exploration have not yet been perfected, and donning and doffing a MCP suit remains a significant challenge. This research effort focuses on the novel use of active material technologies to produce a garment with controllable compression capabilities (up to 30 kPa) to address these problems. We provide a comparative study of active materials and textile architectures for MCP applications; concept active material compression textiles to be developed and tested based on these analyses; and preliminary biaxial braid compression garment modeling results.
AB - Mechanical counter-pressure (MCP) space suits have the potential to improve the mobility of astronauts as they conduct planetary exploration activities. MCP suits differ from traditional gas-pressurized space suits by applying surface pressure to the wearer using tight-fitting materials rather than pressurized gas, and represent a fundamental change in space suit design. However, the underlying technologies required to provide uniform compression in a MCP garment at sufficient pressures for space exploration have not yet been perfected, and donning and doffing a MCP suit remains a significant challenge. This research effort focuses on the novel use of active material technologies to produce a garment with controllable compression capabilities (up to 30 kPa) to address these problems. We provide a comparative study of active materials and textile architectures for MCP applications; concept active material compression textiles to be developed and tested based on these analyses; and preliminary biaxial braid compression garment modeling results.
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M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84880966569
SN - 9781600869402
T3 - AIAA SPACE Conference and Exposition 2012
BT - AIAA SPACE Conference and Exposition 2012
T2 - AIAA SPACE Conference and Exposition 2012
Y2 - 11 September 2012 through 13 September 2012
ER -