Abstract
Large Deployable Reflectors (LDR) are receiving considerable attention from aerospace government companies and researchers. In this paper, the design of the opening system of a LDR is presented. Starting from an elementary cell, a first ideal kinematic model is discussed. Then, a more complex “design model” including feasible design solutions for joints and links is developed. The final design avoids collisions between links while maintaining the original kinematic features.
Highlights
In the field of telecommunications, there are antennas provided with one parabolic surface called reflectors, capable of receiving and reflecting signals of electromagnetic nature
Unlike the antennas located on the ground, those used for space applications must meet certain requirements
We proposed a squared elementary cell with two rods along the diagonal, constrained by means of a revolute joint placed in the midpoint of the diagonal
Summary
In the field of telecommunications, there are antennas provided with one parabolic surface called reflectors, capable of receiving and reflecting signals of electromagnetic nature. The deployable structures were already studied and used in 1957, when the Soviet Union launched the first satellite, the Sputnik Later, these structures were joined to the antennas for space applications. The first type is the most common as well as the object of study in the present paper and differs essentially from the other two types for the presence of an ultralight metallic mesh that acts as a reflective surface that transmits radio frequencies not exceeding 40 GHz. The most used structure for Machines 2020, 8, 7; doi:10.3390/machines8010007 www.mdpi.com/journal/machines. The inflatable antennas are the antennas with the smaller size and the smaller mass compared to the two previous models [4] They are built with flexible materials, totally bent before launching in orbit and subsequently deployed by inflation.
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