Structural design and static analysis of a double-ring deployable truss for mesh antennas

Abstract

This paper addresses the structural design, the deployment control design, the static analysis and the model testing of a new double-ring deployable truss that is intended for large mesh antennas. This deployable truss is a multi-DOF (degree-of-freedom), over-constrained mechanism. Two kinds of deployable basic elements were introduced, as well as a process to synthesise the structure of the deployable truss. The geometric equations were formulated to determine the length of each strut, including the effects of the joint size. A DOF evaluation showed that the mechanism requires two active cables and requires deployment control. An open-loop control system was designed to control the rotational velocities of two motors. The structural stiffness of the truss was assessed by static analysis that considered the effects of the constraint condition and the pre-stress of the passive cables. A 4.2-metre demonstration model of an antenna was designed and fabricated. The geometry and the deployment behaviour of the double-ring truss were validated by the experiments using this model.