Design Of High Storage Efficiency Flexible Solar Array Deployment And Retraction Mechanism

Solar energy is the main source of energy for spacecraft to operate on orbit,and solar energy needs to be converted into electricity by solar cells installed on solar arrays.With the development of aerospace technology,the demand for electricity from spacecraft is increasing,which will lead to a significant increase in the mass and envelope space of the rigid solar array that is currently widely used.However,flexible solar blanket are mostly thin-film structures,lighter in weight,and occupy less space in the folded state.Based on the advantages of low quality and large storage ratio,flexible solar array is the development trend of high-power solar array technology in the future.However,the flexible solar blanket does not have rigidity when it is not tensioned,so a separate expansion and contraction mechanism is required to expand and support it.In addition,when the solar array is deployed,the fundamental frequency is low,which is not conducive to the maneuvering of the spacecraft.The realization of on-orbit folding can reduce the control difficulty of the spacecraft during maneuvering.In addition,it is also conducive to the resistance of solar cells to the harsh space environment and prolongs the life of solar cells.At present,domestic research on flexible solar array deployment and retraction mechanisms is mostly limited to rigid deployment mechanisms,which are complex in structure,heavy in weight,and relatively low in volume utilization efficiency;therefore,based on full investigation of the research status of flexible solar array extension and retracting mechanisms at home and abroad,This article aims to design a flexible solar array extension and retracting mechanism with a large storage ratio and repeatable deployment and retraction on orbit,and conducts the scheme design and structure design of the flexible solar array deployment and retraction mechanism and develops the principle prototype verification function.According to the function and performance index of the flexible solar array deployment and retraction mechanism,two overall concepts of folding boom mechanism and rollabe boom mechanism are proposed;for comparative analysis,the rollabe boom concept is selected as the overall plan.According to the overall plan of deployment and retraction mechanism based on rollable boom,three rollabe boom arrangements schemes,double boom,four boom,and double bent boom,are proposed;through simulation analysis and comparison,it is determined that the layout of the rollabe boom in the deployment and retraction mechanism is a double boom arrangement.Two film tensioning schemes,two-side tensioning and four-point tensioning,are proposed;for comparison through simulation,the preferred film tensioning scheme is four-point tensioning.In order to improve the mechanical properties of the rollabe boom under the condition of equal mass,the variable cross-section study is carried out on the rollabe boom,the key component of the spreading and retracting mechanism,and the variable cross-sectional form of variable diameter and angle was compared,and the rollabe boom with linear change of the cross-sectional opening angle was determined.The relevant mechanical characteristics of the variable-angle rollabe boom are analyzed,including the maximum working stress,the extension moment and the maximum pressure that the top can withstand,which provides a reference for subsequent structural design and prototype development.According to the scheme design of flexible solar array deployment mechanism and the mechanical characteristics of elastic rods,the detailed structure design was carried out,and the motor and transmission parts were designed and selected.For the designed deployment mechanism,related simulation analysis was carried out to verify that the mechanism performance and strength meet the requirements and the correctness of the related analysis.The principle prototype was processed and tested,by which the function of the mechanism was verified.According to the design of the flexible solar array extension and retraction mechanism and the mechanical characteristics of the rollabe boom,the structure design of the deployment and retraction mechanism is carried out.For the flexible solar array deployment and retractiom mechanism,the simulation analysis includes:modal analysis to obtain the dynamic performance of the whole machine;buckling analysis of the rollabe boom to verify the top pressure capacity of the rollabe boom;static analysis to verify the the static rigidity of the solar array and the structural strength of the drive mechanism;simulation of the rolling process of the rollabe boom to verify the correctness of the relevant mechanical analysis The principle prototype of the flexible solar array deployment and retraction mechanism is developed.Through the deployment and retraction function tests,the ability of the mechanism to be repeatedly deployed and retracted is verified.