Coupling dynamic behaviors of flexible stretching hub-beam system

Abstract

In the 1st stage deployment of the IKAROS solar sail, the flexible beam with comparable mass relative to the mass of the rotor is stretching actively in the axial direction, which brings new challenge in the dynamic analysis for the 1st stage deployment of the IKAROS solar sail. Considering the active axial stretching of the flexible beam, a simplified coupling dynamic model for the 1st stage deployment of the IKAROS solar sail is proposed based on the non-holonomic Hamilton least-action principle firstly. And then, a structure-preserving approach combining the generalized multi-symplectic method and the symplectic Runge-Kutta method is constructed to simulate the evolution of the transverse vibration of the beam as well as the evolution of the rotation of the hub. Finally, the associated numerical results in three stages are reported. From the numerical results, it can be found that the coupling effects between the deformation of the beam, the active stretching of the beam and the rotation of the hub are reflected in the stretching stage. In this stage, the transverse vibration of the beam is enhanced by the stretching effect of the beam, and the increase of the energy of the beam in this stage is derived from the decrease of the rotational energy of the hub. In addition, the structure-preserving properties and the validity of the numerical results are verified by the tiny relative energy dissipation of the flexible stretching hub-beam system in the stretching stage.