Keywords

Deployable, Propeller, Thin Structures, High strain composite

Abstract

Aerospace systems frequently face competing requirements between compact packaging and high aerodynamic performance. Large propellers improve efficiency and thrust generation, yet launch constraints and confined storage volumes limit their maximum span. Conventional deployable solutions rely on hinges, locking mechanisms, and external actuation, increasing mechanical complexity and reducing reliability. This dissertation investigates an alternative approach in which elastic instabilities in thin composite shells are deliberately harnessed to enable rapid, mechanism- free deployment of aerodynamic structures. This work harnesses propagating instability in open- section thin-walled airfoil geometries to enable reversible transformation between compact stowed and stiff deployed configurations. By tailoring structural architecture, the blade transitions from a compliant packaging state to a load-bearing configuration driven by stored strain energy. Multiple deployable concepts, including foldable and roll-able designs with internal stiffening strategies, were investigated to improve structural integrity at larger scales. Computational modeling evaluated aerodynamic loading and structural response under rotation, and composite prototypes were experimentally validated through coiling and rotational thrust tests. Results demonstrate significant span reduction during stowage while maintaining aerodynamic functionality when deployed, establishing a scalable framework for instability-driven deployable propeller blades and adaptive aerodynamic structures

Completion Date

2026

Semester

Spring

Committee Chair

Jihua Gou

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Format

PDF

Document Type

Dissertation

Identifier

DP0053215

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