A Simplified Model for the Thermal Behavior Prediction of Inflatable Hangar

The necessary condition for safe use of the inflatable hangar is the proper internal gas pressure. The alternating temperature between day and night will cause the change of gas pressure inside the inflatable hangar, which will affect the load-bearing performance of the inflatable hangar. However, the thermal performance analysis of the inflatable hangar is very few. This paper develops a simplified theoretical model consisting of direct solar radiation model, infrared radiation model, reflected radiation model and convection heat transfer model to analyze the thermal properties of the inflatable hangar. The feasibility of the model is verified by comparing the calculation results with the results of other researchers. Then, the temperature distribution of outer skin and inner gas of the inflatable hangar in summer solstice is analyzed and discussed in detail. The simulation results showed that the theoretical model is reliable and the inner gas temperature of inflatable hangar fluctuates about 27K during the day and night. The theoretical model developed in this paper would provide a useful guide to solve the problem of load-bearing performance change of inflatable hangar under the condition of temperature alternation.