Centrifugal Deployment of Membrane with Spiral Folding: Experiment and Simulation

Abstract

Centrifugal deployment dynamics of hexagonal membranes stowed with spiral folding are investigated. The centrifugal deployment has a possibility of unfolding large membranes without using extendable masts. Understanding and predicting the deployment dynamics are important to realize large membrane space structures. In this paper, deployment experiments of hexagonal membranes with coarse and fine spiral folding patterns are conducted in vacuum under gravity. Numerical simulations of the centrifugal deployments are also performed employing spring-mass system which models in-plane stiffness of thin membranes and enables fast numerical analysis. Additional modelings taking accounts of buckling, creases, air drag and damping are applied to the spring-mass system model. The experimental and numerical results are compared to examine the characteristics of the deployment dynamics and the validity of the numerical simulation.

A curved surface solar radiation pressure force model for solar sail deformation

“…(15). If the deformation of the solar sail is given, the force element dF exerted on each differential area of the sail can be determined, and the total force can be obtained by integrating the equation with respect to the sail surface.…”

“…In principle this shape can only be determined after the sail deployment in space. Many pre-launch studies and experiments have been conducted on solar sail deployment and stability [14][15][16]. In most actual solar sail missions, the sail will need to be deployed in space, but the final shape of the solar sail in orbit will not always be the same as it is on the ground.…”

Post-launch analysis of the deployment dynamics of a space web sounding rocket experiment

“…Computational simulations, e.g., the finite element method [11,21], multi-particle models [19,22] and analytical methods [9,11,12,23] have been used to analyze the dynamics of centrifugal force deployment. Ground scaled model experiments [20,22] are also used to compare with simulations. However, near zero-g experiments are still required to validate the one-step deployment by centrifugal forces.…”

Modeling non-linear viscoelastic behavior under large deformations

“…In the field of surgical simulation, [25] uses a springmass system for the interactive simulation of an ophthalmic procedure where an ocular membrane is modeled (internal boundary layer). In the space sector it is gaining importance, the use of membranes in applications such as antennas, solar candles, solar energy collection, because the low volume they use when they are collected and the large area they can cover when deploys [26]. This paper presents a new spring-mass model in which the internal forces associated with the springs follow an exponential evolution with the elongation.…”