Article ID: MT-MJ2019009
A novel deployable rocket nozzle utilizing superelasticity was proposed in this study. Ti–4.5Al–3V–2Fe–2Mo alloy (SP-700) sheets were heat-treated to have appropriate α/β ratio so that the sheet shows superelasticity at room temperature. A miniature nozzle model was fabricated through thinning, cutting, and welding processes of the sheets. Folding-deployment tests of the model were conducted in addition to finite element analyses of its folding behavior. The feasibility of the new concept of superelastically-deployable sheet structure was successfully verified.
