Triangles, Bridges And Centripetal Space Habitats

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SUMMARY

Using steel triangles to construct metal bridges is effective due to the inherent strength of triangular shapes. In the context of space habitats, employing a bicycle wheel-like foundation braced with triangles made from materials such as carbon fiber, aluminum, or titanium can enhance the structure's ability to withstand higher rotational speeds. However, there are limits to the angular velocity a ring can safely achieve due to tangential and normal stresses. Implementing a strut system is crucial for distributing these stresses effectively.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of structural engineering principles
  • Familiarity with material properties of carbon fiber, aluminum, and titanium
  • Knowledge of rotational dynamics and angular velocity
  • Basic concepts of stress distribution in engineering
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the mechanical properties of carbon fiber, aluminum, and titanium for structural applications
  • Study the principles of rotational dynamics and stress analysis in rotating systems
  • Explore advanced strut system designs for load distribution in rotating structures
  • Investigate the limitations of materials under high rotational speeds, including case studies on CD-ROM technology
USEFUL FOR

Engineers, architects, and researchers involved in aerospace design, structural engineering, and materials science will benefit from this discussion.

SkepticJ
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Making metal bridges from steel triangles is a very good idea because triangles are one of the strongest known shapes. My question is, would making a bicycle wheel-like space station's foundation braced with lots of triangles of whatever construction material is used(carbon fiber, aluminum, titanium etc.) make the space station be able to handle higher rotational speed without flying apart than using an unbraced sheet of material as the station's foundation?
 
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To a degree this could help. However, there is a limit to the angular velocity with which a ring can safely rotate. There are tangental and normal stresses that are imparted on a spinning disk. So a strut system could help distribute the stresses due to rotation.

FYI: This is why you won't see a CD-ROM speed faster than 72x because that is the rotational speed at which the acrylic the disk is made from fails (and the 72x drives have a hardened steel case to prevent flying acrylic shards... of death).

Cheers...
 

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