Abstract The woven fabric membrane materials are widely used in space and terrestrial inflatable reflectors. However the material׳s anisotropy makes the design analysis more complex. The deviation from the desired shape, so-called “W-profile error”, influences the precision of the membrane surface significantly. In this study, a model of an axisymmetric paraboloid surface using membrane theory is established for the purpose of facilitating the surface precision optimization. Analytical solutions for displacements of the reflector are derived. An iteration method of initial reflector profile solution is stated and a finite element (FE) software employed in the solution is presented. A case study is illustrated to make a comparison between numerical and theoretical analyses. Finally, the conclusions are drawn that the analytical method and the FE iterative method for initial profile solution are feasible and efficient.
Highlights We establish the axisymmetric parabolic surface model based on the membrane theory. We derive the solutions for displacements of the reflectormade by an orthotropic material. We state an iteration method of initial profile optimization for reflector precision improvement. The new methods are turned out to be feasible to decrease the “W-profile error” of the inflatable reflector.
Mechanical study on initial profile solution for inflatable reflector made of orthotropic material
Acta Astronautica ; 104 , 1 ; 179-185
2014-08-01
7 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Mechanical study on initial profile solution for inflatable reflector made of orthotropic material
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