Application of Honeycomb Structures in Key Components of Space Deployable Structures

Abstract

The reed structure is the key component in the foldable space deployment mechanism. In the aerospace industry, weight loss occupies a pivotal position. The use of lightweight structure can achieve significant savings in launch costs and improve load efficiency. Aiming at the lightweight requirements of the space deployment mechanism, this paper discusses the substitution effect of the honeycomb topology on the reed structure in the space deployment structure. Firstly, the column structure of the honeycomb is equivalent to an orthotropic cylindrical block-shell structure. According to the bending theory of an orthotropic cylinder, the expanded honeycomb structure equivalent to an orthotropic cylindrical block-shell structure is deduced. Then, the exact expression of the reverse bending moment was obtained, and the bending moment-curvature curve during the folding process was drawn. The bending moment-curvature characteristics during the folding process are simulated by finite element numerical simulation. By proposing the index of unit mass for analysis and comparison, the results show that compared with the common spring steel structure, the honeycomb structure has better mechanical properties per unit mass and has a certain substitution effect on the reed structure.

Analysis of the Mechanical Properties and Study of Influential Factors of Different Materials in Tape Spring

“…Since plain weave and triaxial fabrics are used, all laminates have equal tensile stiffness [21]. Substituting the parameters into Equation (20) yields the curve of the curvature radius-moment variation of the reverse bending process of the spring structure shown in the figure . From Figure 6, it can be seen that as the curvature radius increases, the required bending moment sharply increases to 2249 Nmm, which is called the critical bending moment, reflecting the anti-interference ability of the spring. Then, it sharply decreases and tends to a constant value of 625 Nmm, which is called the steady-state bending moment.…”

“…In terms of steady-state bending moment indicators, the composite material spring is better than the ordinary spring and the negative Poisson ratio honeycomb structure spring. Combining with previous work [20,22], we compared three types of materials and structures of the spring, as shown in Figure 9. It can be seen that compared with the negative Poisson ratio honeycomb structure spring, the composite material spring has a lower critical bending moment and a higher steady-state bending moment.…”

“…This formula is subsequently applied for practical design purposes, and a finite element model is established to confirm the accuracy of the derived formula. In our previous study [20], we analyzed the substitution effect of negative Poisson honeycomb structures for tape spring structures and conducted theoretical analysis and finite element simulation to investigate the folding and bending process of the negative Poisson ratio honeycomb structure. A comparison is made using the unit mass index, and the results show that the honeycomb structure exhibits superior mechanical properties per unit mass compared to the conventional spring steel structure.…”