Pretension modeling and form-finding for cable-network antennas with varying topologies and parameters

Abstract

Cable-network antenna is regarded as one of the most ideal satellite antennas. In previous configuration design methods, some basic information including the node connectivity is usually not considered, which affects the subsequent analyses. Meanwhile, the existing form-finding methods mainly adapt to specific cable-network antennas with fixed configurations. Only the antenna accuracy or tension distribution is optimized, which usually cannot guarantee an optimal result. Here an integrated method both for the cable-network antenna's configuration and pretension design with varying topologies and parameters is proposed. Firstly, a parameterized configuration design approach is presented. The node coordinates are calculated by the design requirements, and the antenna topology is described by graph theory. Secondly, a pretension modeling approach is proposed. The parameterized equilibrium equation for the cable-network antenna with a flexible supporting truss is established. Thirdly, the original length approach for form-finding is proposed. Using this approach, a bi-objective optimization model is established to optimize both the antenna accuracy and tension distribution. Lastly, numerical examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, and the form-finding results are compared with the previous method.