Modeling and design of large-sized transformable cable-rod reflector

Abstract

Nowadays among large-sized transformable space antennas development of antennas with hoop-shaped reflectors is of the most interest. The developers search for optimal structural solutions fulfilling the requirements of minimal mass, high accuracy of the reflecting surface and necessary dynamic stiffness. Solution of such problems with minimal labor input has become possible with the development of automated geometric and finite-element modelling of transformable reflectors. The article describes the method and the algorithm to solve problems of that type. The work describes different structure variants of cable-rod scheme reflectors including bearing framework (bearing rim) with deployment drive and reflecting surface shape-generating structure, assembled into a single construction by cable and rod elements. Automated engineering design approach in this case requires a set of software modules written in the Fortran programming language and allowing to obtain a set of files for constructing the geometrical objects composing a model of a structure in AutoCAD and for creation of finite-element models of a structure in Patran/Nastran software. According to the obtained results, the designed software allows to perform stress analysis of cable and rod elements of assemblies and the structure in general and select optimal parameters of the space antenna hoop-shaped reflector under design.