UV Cured Rigid inflatable gantry

grabcad

UV cured composites have seen extensive use in the Cured in place pipe industry. Their unique ability to remain soft until exposed to UV radiation allow them to be transported and then formed to the installation before committing to a final cure. Once the cure has been completed, the gas can be recompressed and saved for other uses.This unique tech is of particular value in this application as no special power supply or curing system would be required to initiate and cure the resin. being able to cure the structure after inflation offers great benefit in a lunar application as the structure would be rigid after curing and would not require ongoing maintenance of the inflation gas, greatly reducing any required logistics.The structure is immensely strong and can be optimized to achieve design goals through variable thickness and distribution of glass fiber or other composite materials. The rigidity of the structure allows for a great deal of compliance with varying terrain conditions that may place pneumatic structures at risk.The design is highly scalable to achieve different sizes and heights of gantries.The design shown utilizes a 1/4" wall thickness which allows for a highly compact stowage. The use of diffraction grating fiber optic strain sensors would allow for realtime monitoring of the structure.