Improvement of deployment repeatability by the vibration produced by macro fiber composite actuator

Abstract

In this study, a method of improving the positioning accuracy of deployable space structures was developed and its effectiveness demonstrated. When a space structure expands, friction is generated at the joints between different parts. This friction has adverse effects on the positioning accuracy and produces deviations from the expected position during operation. To achieve high positioning accuracy, it is necessary to not only minimize the friction at the joint but also correct the deviation after it occurs. We apply vibration produced by a macro fiber composite (MFC) actuator to correct the deviation caused by friction. A portion of the structure including the joint is simulated by a simple beam and a ball bearing joint. In the results of our experiments, we observed the effect of applying vibration on the correction of deviations. We also determined the effective vibration based on the natural frequency of the beam and the necessary vibration duration. This method may contribute to improving the accuracy of deployment operations.