Electromagnetic Thermoforming to Manufacture Reflective Panels for Radio Telescopes and Downlinks

Davila-Peralta, Christian; Hyatt, Justin; Hatfield, Zack; Peter, Alex St.; Allen, Bailey S.; Nguyen, Naomi; Ellis, Wyatt; Kim, Dae Wook; Berkson, Joel; Rodriguez, Emili

doi:10.1109/aero50100.2021.9438425

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

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“…A two-dimensional drawing of these features in a basic format in Fig. 4 (left) demonstrates how they work together to create an adjustable mold that can be used to approximate different surface curvatures [5].…”

Section: Adaptable Mold Design and Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, these repetitive and complicated manufacturing processes have been necessary for many radio telescope systems due to the numerous and varied panel shapes required for large dishes. Alternatively, the electroforming, carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, and stretching methods all require a unique mold that matches the desired surface shape of the panel for use in their respective manufacturing processes [4,5]. This process results in high material costs and time expended on machines or otherwise generates custom molds for each unique panel.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Adaptive Thermoforming and Structural Design of Millimeter-Wave Antenna Panels

et al. 2022

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Future large-scale radio telescope observatories, such as the next-generation Very Large Array, involve extremely large collection areas. These collection areas are divided into smaller shaped panels, which typically require their own unique molds to manufacture. For these projects to be cost-effective, an efficient fabrication method for the shaped panels is needed. This paper outlines the development and success of a novel adaptive freeform panel molding technology that greatly improves manufacturing efficiency due to its repeatable and reusable nature. Moreover, it presents an analysis of a proposed panel structural design for the shaped panels, which incorporates a study on surface deformation due to gravity and wind loading under realistic operational conditions.

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Section: Adaptable Mold Design and Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%