Design And Experimental Study Of Deployable Antenna Based On Shape Memory Polymer Composites

Deployable space antenna is one of the important branches of deployable space structures. Its research focus has gradually transformed from antennas with the old mechanical drive to the ones of lightweight, highly reliability, and cost-effectiveness. With the development of material science, shape memory polymer(SMP), as one kind of new intelligent material, has become a hot topic in material field. Carbon fiber reinforced shape memory polymer composites with the advantages of high specific strength and stiffness, the ability of self-driven to its original shape show great application potential in space deployable structures.In this paper, a flat deployable antenna driven by shape memory polymer composite(SMPC) hinge is designed and studied. The hinge is based on a thermosetting shape memory polymer composite whose resin is synthesized by our research group. Thermal and mechanical properties of the SMP are characterized; the bending of the SMPC hinge is simulated; the experiments of the SMPC laminates and hinge are conducted and the driven force, shape recovery ratio and rules of recovery process are obtained. The study of the SMPC laminates and hinge shows that the shape memory material has certain recovery ability. Based on the results above, a flat deployable antenna is designed. The hinge size and the location are optimized by modal simulation of the hinge and antenna. In addition, the kinematic model of the single flat antenna is built, and the kinematic differential equation is also established. Based on the virtual prototyping technology of ADAMS, the dynamic simulation of the single flat antenna is carried out, the deployment regular curve is obtained and the influence of the deploying upon the satellite position-attitude is analyzed. Finally, using flotation method to simulate zero gravity space environments, the deployment experiment of single antenna and the modal test of the deployed single antenna are carried out. The relation o f deployment angle and time as well as the modes of the deployed antenna is obtained.In this paper, the rationality of the flat antenna design, the advantages of the smooth deployment process and the small impulse vibration are analyzed by theoretical and simulation analyses. The zero gravity deployment experiment of single antenna verifies the feasibility of the application of SMPC materials in space deployable structures.