Deployment analysis of a composite thin-walled toroidal rim with elastic hinges: Application to an umbrella-type reflector of spacecraft antenna

An innovative method of deployment of an umbrella-type reflector of a spacecraft antenna is presented in the paper. The reflector contains sixteen lattice spokes made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic, the reflective mesh, transformable rim, and cardan system of synchronization of the spokes' deployment. The transformable rim is made in the form of composite thin-walled toroidal shell with cutouts. The parts of the shell with cutouts work as elastic hinges, allowing the rim to be folded. The energy stored in the hinges of folded rim is utilized to spread the spokes when required. The elastic rotational deformation of the hinges is modelled and simulated using LS-DYNA. Based on this simulation, a correlation between the elastic moment and the angle of hinge rotation is established. Using this correlation, a dynamic model of the reflector deployment was created and analyzed. The MSC ADAMS multibody dynamics simulation solution tool was used to model the deployment of reflector. The computer simulations enabled the rim parameters ensuring guaranteed unfolding of the reflector to be deter-mined. The studies performed have proved a reliability and potential for successful practical application of the composite rim containing elastic hinges for the deployment of the umbrella-type antenna reflector.