Elastic buckling phenomenon applicable to deployable rings

Abstract There are various kinds of deployable members developed in order to improve the packing efficiency of space structures. Some of them ingeniously utilize elastic buckling phenomena, such as flexural buckling and torsional buckling. However, their application is primarily restricted to straight members. Herein, we present an interesting buckling phenomenon of a ring which considerably reduces its original volume and could be applied to a deployable ring. First, we show an accurate method which can be used to analyze this buckling phenomenon accompanying finite rotations in space. Then, with this method, we theoretically examine the effect of structural parameters on buckling behavior.