Design of a Foldable Solar Panel with Radial and Circumferential Folding Motion

Abstract

This paper focuses on designing a foldable solar panel that can be folded both circumferentially and radially simultaneously. Most of the existing foldable solar panels have only one movement mode when folded. In contrast, the solar panel designed in this paper has two different movement modes when folded, which has the advantage of further reducing the area of the solar panel when it is fully folded. In this paper, the solar panel can achieve circumferential motion based on the motion principle of the folding fan, and the solar panel can achieve radial motion based on the principle of the slider mechanism. Then the two separate motions are unified by improving the scissors-like element structure. In addition, this paper adopts SolidWorks modeling, CAXA drawing, and calculation to prove the normal operation of the structure. Finally, the control variable method is used to analyze the structural skeleton's radial and circumferential folding capacity. The critical parameter α2 (the central angle when the structure is fully unfolded) is obtained, affecting the mechanism's contracting capacity. When α2 increases, the radial contraction ability of the structure first increases and then decreases, and the circumferential folding ability of the structure continues to increase. At the same time, the radial and circumferential shrinkage capabilities of the structure and the layout of the solar panel are comprehensively considered, and the value of α2 is obtained when the folding ratio is as small as possible.