Analysis of the deployment of a transformable space structure

The problem of creating special suspended systems transported in spacecrafts of a much smaller size is reduced to the development of transformable structures. Despite significant advances in the design of such structures, smooth and reliable deployment of large structures consisting of dozens, hundreds, and even thousands of interconnected elements is still a challenge. The EULER software package designed for the automated dynamic analysis of multi-component mechanical systems is used to construct a model for simulating the deployment of a large transformable space structure. The efficiency of this structure is mainly determined by the level of internal forces arising during its deployment from the transportation close-packed state to a normal operating state in the orbit. The constructed model is a system of perfectly rigid bodies connected by hinges. The masses and moments of inertia of the solid bodies are assumed to be equal to the corresponding characteristics of the existing elements of the structure. The term «hinge joint» in the design model has a broader meaning than the term «joint». It includes a cylindrical hinge enabling relative rotational movements of adjacent bodies, deployment elements in the form of torsion springs, and elements for fixing adjacent bodies of the transformable structure in its operation position. The model was used to simulate the deployment dynamics of a parabolic structure. A specific transformable space structure was chosen mainly because its prototypes do exist and experimental results are available, which makes it possible to verify the developed model. The proposed model can be used in the design, development and experimental study of transformable large space structures.

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